A Cinderella Story
by KairiAngel13
Summary: After the unexpected death of her mother and the abandonment of her older sister, Artemis is uprooted and forced to live with an abusive father. Are a red-headed track star and a simple arrow the keys to bringing her a "Happily Ever After?" Warning: Mentions of Child Abuse and Suggestive Sexual Themes. Spitfire Multiple Parings, AU.
1. Once Upon a Time

**A/N:**** This is a little idea that popped into my head after watching Hilary Duff's **_**A Cinderella Story**_**. There are a few similarities but many more differences. So, give it a chance and let me know what you thought of my latest fanfic.**

**This story is AU, but many of the show's characters will be mentioned; and for the sake of this fanfic, everyone lives in the city of Gotham. **

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the **_**Young Justice **_**series that was inspired by the DC comics universe or any of the show's characters, nor do I own the classic fairytale of **_**Cinderella**_**. However, I did write this story and all plot twists, changes and creations that I made on my own I can take claim over. So please, no stealing.**

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"_Once Upon a Time…"_

If I were the narrator of my life, it definitely wouldn't start with some cliché like _once upon a time…_

Perhaps something…dark and gloomy like a twisted fairy tale invented to confuse and scare children. My life hasn't been a walk in the park, more like a walk through a field of rabid dogs…or even wolves…

The point is, my life has been hard for many years now. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't always been that way.

_Once upon a time_…oh boy, here I go using some silly cliché.

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_Once upon a time, there was a family of four that lived in the town of Canton. The family didn't have much money, but they managed to make the most of their life together and pulled through even the toughest of times._

_There was a man by the name of Lawrence Crock. He was heavily built and rarely smiled. His face could mistake you for a gargoyle's with the evil expression that was practically engraved in its features. The only thing or person that could un-etch his tough expression was Paula Crock._

_Paula was extremely beautiful and she never took things for granted. That was one lesson she practically instilled in the minds of her two children. Paula was an amazing cook and her voice was sweet and angelic, two qualities that made Paula a wonderful singer and great friend._

_Paula and Lawrence had two daughters three years apart in age. Their eldest Jade was the spitting image of her beautiful mother with the face and attitude of her father. This proved rather difficult for young Artemis, a girl with her mother's beauty and hair as gold as sunshine. _

_For a while, things were normal in the Crock house: family dinners, occasional outings, movie nights…but then, that night came._

_Artemis was pulled out of bed at an early hour by her sister and tugged into a closet. They could hear a struggle outside their bedroom and the screams of her mother. The two sisters jumped in surprise as the sound of the dining room China Cabinet shattering reached their ears. Young Artemis began to whimper, but Jade held a hand over the younger girl's mouth to silence her cries. When the noise came to a halt, all that could be heard were the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching the closet door. The knob turned and the door opened revealing Lawrence, his face more stiff than usual. The two girls were pulled from the closet and ushered past the living and dining area out to the front road where a car was parked. Jade and Artemis were strapped into the back and Lawrence climbed into the front before speeding away from the small farmhouse._

_Young Artemis questioned where her dear mother had gone, but Lawrence remained silent as they drove on._

_After that night, the family Artemis had once loved changed forever…_

_Lawrence moved his daughters to the slums of a city far away from Canton known as Gotham. With the change of the surroundings, Artemis soon found herself within a living nightmare._

_Constant beatings, cruel names, starvation…the abuse and cruelty would continue for many years and while Jade opted to leave her sister alone to face the master of their home, young Artemis forever remained loyal and stayed behind to hold on to what little memories of her happy life she had left…_

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So, you thought I was kidding huh? My life definitely hasn't been a fairytale. With Jade gone, I am left to deal with my father's abuse alone. I hide my life along with my battle scars and I find it hard to trust anyone…but recently…I've met someone in an online chat room who seems to be struggling with life just as much as I am…can I trust him? Can I trust myself?

This is the tale of two online friends who somehow became…lovers in some twisted sort of way. I'm no Cinderella, that's for sure, but somehow…the Disney princess and I have more in common than just our blonde hair.

This is the tale of the Speedster and the Archer…and a hero-themed ball that brought them to their happily ever after…

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**A/N:**** So, this was merely the prologue that gives the story its first push. However, I am sure you will enjoy where this story goes. So, if you feel compelled to do so, leave me a review. See you at the next update **


	2. The Speedster and the Archer

**A/N:**** Hey guys, I'm here with chapter one and I hope you guys will enjoy it. Remember, this story is AU so it does not follow the storyline of the show. Go ahead and read and review. I am eager to read about what you thought the chapter was like.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the Young Justice series that was inspired by the DC comic's universe or any of the show's characters, nor do I own the classic fairytale of Cinderella. However, I did write this story and all plot twists, changes and creations that I made on my own I can take claim over. So please, no stealing.**

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"_**The Speedster and the Archer"**_

Artemis Crock groaned in disappointment as the sound of her alarm clock beeping reached her ears. She stretched her arm out from beneath the comfort of her old quilt and reached over to the clock on top of her nightstand table before slamming her hand down hard on the snooze button. A blue coffee mug she had filled with water the night before fell from the table and hit the red carpet floor beneath it, spilling the water from its mouth onto the flooring as it absorbed the liquid quickly.

With a heavy sigh, Artemis sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She winced in pain as a muscle in her back and arm stretched in spite of the bruises that were currently visiting them. With one scratch to her head, she stood from the old mattress and made her way over to her dresser. The bottom drawer had fallen out last month and the top had been missing for years, which left her with two drawers to shove the few items of clothing she did have inside for storage. She pulled the bottom drawer out and rummaged for a fresh set of undergarments and her black gym shorts. She then proceeded to open the second drawer to grab a green tank and a pair of black ankle socks.

She wore a grim expression as she crept through the darkened halls of her home towards the bathroom. She made sure to lock the door behind her before starting up the shower. The water heater had been broken for weeks and her father had refused to fix the darn thing, so she was forced to bathe under a waterfall of ice with her washrag and white bar of dove.

Artemis had to admit, the feeling of the ice cold water felt nice as it sprayed against her skin, numbing it completely and allowing some of the pain in her joints and muscles to subside. A frown made its way onto her lips as thoughts of new bruises filled her mind. She had exactly ten minutes to get ready or she'd have more to worry about then bruises.

Finishing her shower in record time and brushing her teeth, Artemis then pulled her wet abundance of hair back with a twist tie before sliding on her clothes and making her way to the front door of the apartment. She grabbed her green duffle bag from beside the door before pushing her way into the hallway. Looking around to ensure no one else was awake to follow her, she made her way to the end of the hall where another door could be seen. She made her way through the door and up the metal ladder of the fire escape as she climbed to the roof.

She sighed with defeat at the sight of _him _standing at the other end of the roof, his back to her as he stared down at the streets below. Her eyes traveled over the obstacles and targets he had placed all over the rooftop before resting upon the club that was clutched in a tight fist by his side.

She strode over to him quickly and dropped her bag beside him before unzipping the holder and pulling out a folded bow and a few arrows.

"You have one minute to hit every target, and I expect an A result." Lawrence spoke, his voice hollow and dark.

Artemis nodded in reply before unfolding the bow and heading to the center of the roof so she could be at the center of all the targets.

Lawrence turned around and folded his arms across his chest, making sure that the club in his hand was in good view of his daughter. Taking a deep breath, Artemis nocked an arrow and raised her bow as she drew its string back. Feeling her father's eyes boring into her, the girl released the first arrow and took a sigh of relief as it sliced straight through the paper target and the punching bag behind it.

_Two down, thirty to go…_

Artemis closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and taking out another arrow. This time, she didn't hesitate to let go of the arrow and she watched it fly into another target. She proceeded to hit each target quickly, each shot landing in its destination faster than the previous, and each time, the arrow would hit the bull's eye in the center of each object. Feeling over-confident in herself, Artemis let the last arrow go with mere seconds to spare, but at the last minute, the arrow's trajectory changed by a slight degree and its head dug into the last target right below the center dot.

Feeling fear rise in her chest, Aretmis's mouth fell open, her eyes wide.

_How could I have missed…?_

Before she could even try and comprehend what her father must have thought, she is greeted by a brutal blow to the head. Her body fell to the rooftop with a loud thud and she whimpered as pain began to sear through her skull. She managed to open her eyes and she began to cower at the sight of Lawrence standing over her, disgust on his face.

"What did I tell you?" he said, his voice hard and booming with anger.

"One minute…not to miss…" Artemis said, her voice monotonic as she tried to swallow the tears that were beckoning to fall from her eyes.

"Not only did you miss that last shot, but you were one second too late." He said.

Before Artemis could reply, her stomach met with the toe of Lawrence's boot. The sudden rush of pain in her abdomen pulled a scream from her throat along with the rest of the air in her lungs. Lawrence's brow narrowed as he leaned over and grabbed a fistful of gold and tugged tight to pull Artemis up onto her feet so their eyes could meet.

"What is my number one rule?" he growled.

Artemis trembled within his hold as she blinked a single tear free. "Silence is golden…" she whispered, her voice maintaining its monotonic tone.

"Well, what do you know? You actually got something right."

Lawrence threw the girl back to the ground and looked out into the distance as the sound of the grand clock in Gotham's Central Park rang out six chimes. When the bells' glorious ringing ceased, Lawrence turned back to the blonde heap lying on the roof.

"It's six a.m." he spoke. "I want my breakfast hot and ready by six-thirty, and for heaven's sake girl, you have school today."

An evil smile crept its way onto Lawrence's face as Artemis's gray eyes slowly moved up to meet his matching set.

"You look terrible." He said with a laugh before heading for the fire escape.

Artemis sat up slowly, wincing in pain as her muscles stretched to give her the ability to do so. She then took hold of her bow and forced her legs to run her forward so she could collect her abandoned arrows and duffle bag. With five minutes to spare, she made her way back down the fire escape and inside the apartment. She dropped her bag carelessly next to the door and headed into the kitchen to pop two pieces of toast in the toaster. After ensuring the timer was set for four minutes on the dot, Artemis opened the fridge to retrieve one white egg before reaching into a cabinet beside the fridge for a pan. Lawrence strode into the kitchen just as she had the toast and fried egg on a paper plate. She grabbed a fork and set it on the table beside the plate before pulling out the card-table chair for Lawrence to take his seat.

Artemis then went back to the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboard for a plastic cup of applesauce. After retrieving a spoon, she too went and sat at the table and stared down at the plastic red surface as she slowly ate her breakfast.

"When's your archery tournament?" Lawrence spoke, nearly causing the teen to jump out of her skin.

She held her spoon tight in her hand as she lifted her head to look him in his face, something he demanded she do when speaking to him.

"I-It's Saturday during the track meet." She stammered.

Lawrence gave her a nod as he took a large, crunchy bite out of his dry toast.

"I expect you to give an A performance." He said as an evil smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "With all the training I've given you and the practice you've been doing, you should bring home an amazing trophy."

"Yes sir." Came her reply as she went back to her meal.

Releasing a loud belch, Lawrence stood from the table and headed towards his bedroom. He returned a few minutes later dressed in a dark blue turtleneck, a pair of dark blue jeans and black combat boots. He grabbed his own duffle bag from beside the front door and shot Artemis an evil look.

"I'll be back late tonight. You can put my dinner in the fridge. Have a great day _sweetheart_."

Artemis cringed as the words left his lips and when he finally left the apartment, she allowed herself to break. Sobs wracked her tiny frame as she shook with fear. The pain in her head was throbbing and she could feel new bruises forming on her skin. She continued to cry for several minutes, not caring who heard. After all, her main threat had left minutes ago to do God knows what with his miserable excuse of a life.

_If only mom were still here…_

That thought comforted her just slightly. Her mother would never allow him to treat her the way he does, as though she were an abomination not worthy of bearing the title of daughter. Hell, he told on several occasions how much he admired Jade for having the guts to leave him. A coward is what he called her. She was someone who was too afraid to face and conquer her fears…She was too afraid to conquer her fear of him.

Artemis hadn't realized how long she'd been sitting in the kitchen until the sound of the Grand Clock downtown striking seven reached her ears.

"Shit…" she cursed as she jumped to her feet and dashed towards the bathroom.

Artemis stared at herself in the mirror for several minutes as she took in her appearance. Her body was decorated with horrible, purple bruises, scars and cuts that she had earned as "gifts" from her father over the years. His latest present was a purple bruise on the temple of her head. With a sigh, Artemis pulled the medicine cabinet open and reached for her concealer that she applied quickly. Checking her face one more time, she smiled at the sight of the bruise nearly gone. After running back to her room to re-dress in dark jeans, a white tank and her favorite brown jacket and matching boots, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the apartment and towards the elevator.

She smiled when the elevator doors opened. Her best friend was waiting for her by the main desk.

"Dick." She said as a smile worked its way onto her face.

Richard Grayson, or Dick as many called him, was a very mysterious boy who often kept to himself, only opening up to his few close friends, Artemis being one of them. He had dark black hair that was always slicked back, not a hair out of place and he had a pair of sparkling, ice blue eyes that he usually hid behind his favorite pair of aviators. The boy was dressed rather nicely, due to his wealthy upbringing, but in spite of having all the riches in the world with people practically begging and throwing themselves at him just to be a part of his life, Dick would rather hang out with people like Artemis, the quiet ones who didn't focus so much on his wealth and social status but on his personality and how much fun he was to be around. Every morning, he had his butler Alfred drop him off in the slums unbeknownst to his father and he'd walk to school with Artemis to keep her company and she appreciated it greatly.

"Good morning." He greeted her cheerfully with his usual smile on his face. "Did you sleep well?"

Artemis's smile disappeared and was quickly replaced with a frown. "Not exactly." She said with a sigh as they made their way out of the building.

Dick's brow furrowed as he sighed. "How bad is it?"

"My stomach feels like a car just rolled over the top of it and I took a huge hit to the head."

Dick's lips thinned into a line as he looked away from her and stared up the block. Artemis sighed as a feeling of guilt washed over her. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she still couldn't help but to feel as there was more she could have done to protect herself. She was just proving her father right. She was proving how cowardice she was.

The blonde was snapped out of her thoughts as she felt Dick's hand take hold of hers to give it a tight, but gentle squeeze. She smiled before squeezing his hand back.

Dick was the only one who knew the extent of Artemis's home life. In fact, he was the only person she had ever opened up to and told about the pain and suffering she'd been enduring for the past nine years. Dick had plead with her on several instances to run away from Lawrence and get help. He'd even gone as far to suggest telling his adoptive father Bruce Wayne so he could take her in, but Artemis had flat out refused. She felt obligated to stay with him and keep the little family she had left from falling apart. Her excuse was that Lawrence was the only family she had, excluding Jade because she was unaware of the older teen's current location. Although Dick tried repeatedly to get her to see how ludicrous and dangerous her actions were, he never could break through to her. So, he did what he could and stood by her side as a support system, giving her a shoulder to cry on and to lean on whenever she needed to while throwing his two cents in about her leaving whenever he felt it was needed.

"I can't believe I was so stupid." Artemis groaned as they crossed the street and rounded a corner to head for the bus stop. "I missed one target and blew the whole thing."

"Stop it." Dick said. "Your father shouldn't expect you to be such a perfect athlete. Everyone makes mistakes, isn't that what that Hannah Montana song says?"

Artemis burst into a fit of laughter at his words, earning a smile from Dick.

After walking two more blocks, the two of them reached the city bus stop. They paid their fare and told the driver to head for Gotham High before taking a seat in the rear of the bus. Artemis held her backpack in her lap and stared out the window for the entire ride. She watched as the scenery changed from gratified brick walls, broken windows and homeless people to nicer business complexes, fancy restaurants, clean parks and happy people strolling down the sidewalks. Gotham High School came into view after ten minutes of riding and she smiled at the sight of a raven-haired teenager sitting on the ledge of a fountain right outside the school's main entrance.

"There's Zatanna." Artemis said as she pointed out the window.

"Oh, great." Dick said as a blush reddened his cheeks.

Artemis didn't fail to notice the red warmth on his pale cheeks, but she decided not to call him on it and settled for standing to her feet to pull the rope to alert the bus driver that they had reached their stop.

The bus slowly wheeled up the curb and came to a halt and Artemis and Dick exited the bus along with a few other students that lived in the downtown area. Slinging their backpacks over their shoulders, Artemis and Dick stepped up and onto the sidewalk to head over to the third member of their mighty trio.

"Well, hey there you two." Zatanna greeted them with a friendly smile. "It's about time you showed up, I was beginning to get a little lonely waiting here by myself."

"Hey, no one said you had to wait out here on the fountain bringing attention to yourself." Artemis said with a smirk.

Zatanna giggled at Artemis's words before standing up to head inside with her and Dick.

"So, are either of you going to the dance Friday night?" Zatanna questioned the two of them as they walked up the main steps and into the building crowded with students.

Artemis shrugged. "I personally don't care. What's so fun about going to some silly school dance? All you do is put on some tacky dress to wear into a gym of students just to be criticized by the dress you're wearing, and you dance around with some guy that asked you because of your bra size or you dance around with friends because you were too lame to get a date. To make matters worse they play the crappiest music and all the jocks run around screaming like a bunch of wild animals as they from a train and run around the dance floor running into people. The kids that actually can dance stand at the front near the DJs booth while everyone else grinds on each other like it's cute. It's disgusting and I would rather not subject myself to such idiocy."

"I take it school dances really aren't your thing." Zatanna giggled as they all stopped at Dick's locker.

Dick began to input his combination and he pulled the blue locker open to retrieve the books for his first three class periods. He slammed the locker shut and laughed as they began their walk to Artemis's locker.

"They most definitely aren't her thing." He commented. "I recall her saying something about sticking thumbtacks in her eyes over going to a school dance."

"Well, I really think you should go Artemis. In fact, all three of us should go! I guess the pep club decided to make this dance a themed dance and they chose superheroes for the main event. Can you believe it?"

"Now I most definitely don't want to go." Artemis spat as they stopped at her locker.

Artemis opened her locker to reveal a picture of her as a toddler holding her mother's hand taped on the opened door. Zatanna and Dick smiled sadly at the picture. Artemis never talked about her mother and they wouldn't dare ask her out of fear of how she may react. So they stayed silent just as they did every day and waited for her to pull out the books for her first four classes. With her mother's picture shut back in her locker, they began their walk again and Zatanna brought up the subject of the dance again.

"Artemis, come on. It would be so much fun to have you there. We could make fun of everyone's costumes and the best part is, we can wear masks. No one will know have to know that it's us."

"Geez Zatanna that offer is tempting but…I'm going to have to pass. Besides, what are the odds that my dad will actually let me go?"

Zatanna decided not to press the subject further. From what she knew, Artemis's father was very strict and rarely let her out of their home. The only time she saw Artemis outside of school were on days he wasn't home or when she snuck out. Perhaps the blonde was right?

Deciding to change the subject, Zatanna cleared her throat as she smiled brightly.

"So…how has everything been going with the Speedster?"

Artemis's eyes widened and she placed a hand over Zatanna's mouth before holding a finger up to her lips to silence her friend.

"Could you try to be a little quieter?" Artemis said, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No one's supposed to know, remember?"

"Except for the two of us apparently." Dick said with a laugh.

Artemis sighed before smiling at the two of them. She ushered them out to the courtyard and closed the door before taking a seat on the bench and pulling out one of the only personal possessions her father didn't mind her having: her phone.

Artemis hit her internet app and pulled open her email inbox before handing the phone to Zatanna.

"We talked for three whole hours last night until I crashed around two-thirty. I think we're really starting to make a connection."

"You mean more than the 4g connection you two already have?" Dick asked jokingly. He was answered by a quick elbow jab in the ribs from Zatanna.

"So not funny." She said with a giggle before reading the screen. "Wow Artemis…he seems to be getting a little more personal with his conversations. Then again, so are you."

"Hey, we've been talking in that online chatroom for almost four months now. I think we've really developed a great understanding of each other. I consider us to be mutual friends."

"Um, hello, me and Dick are mutual friends Artemis. This guy…the Speedster…you haven't even met him before."

"I know, but last night we were talking about actually meeting up face to face. After all, we do go to the same school. It would be nice to see each other and know who the other is."

Zatanna suddenly gasped before grabbing onto Artemis's arm tight. Dick watched nervously as Artemis's face scrunched up in pain. Zatanna had obviously hit a sensitive part of her arm.

"That's it Artemis! Why don't you ask to meet up with the Speedster at the dance? It's the perfect plan!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Artemis asked with a raised eyebrow. "I already told you I wasn't going to that dance."

"Artemis, think about it. You could go to the dance in a superhero disguise and the Speedster wouldn't even know it was you. The two of you could reveal yourselves to each other and well, who knows? You may just find the perfect dream guy who you can live out your happily ever after with."

Artemis frowned at her words. "Zatanna, happily ever afters don't exist for people like me."

Zatanna watched her friend stand to her feet and hug her arms around herself.

"Hey…look, I'm sorry Artemis. I shouldn't have gotten so carried away. It's your life and if you don't want to meet the Speedster, you shouldn't have to."

The seriousness of the conversation disappears as the sound of the warning bell blares throughout the courtyard.

"Come on, let's get to class." Dick suggests. "We can talk about something else when we meet up at lunch. Okay?"

Zatanna nodded before bidding her friends goodbye and heading towards her algebra class. Dick watched her go before gently placing a hand on Artemis's shoulder.

"I shouldn't have gotten so upset with her." Artemis sighed. "She has no idea what I'm going through at home."

"Artemis, she's your best friend just as I am. I only know because of practically forced the answer out of you, plus we've been friends for years now. We've only known Zatanna for a little over a year. She isn't going to know what you're going through unless you tell her and if you feel like now is the time to say something…then say something to her."

Artemis shook her head. "I'm not ready. This isn't some kind of secret that I should just pass around. I don't know if I can trust Zatanna with such a huge secret."

Artemis stops speaking when her phone chimes, signaling that a new email has been sent to her inbox. A hopeful smile crosses her face as she slides a finger across the screen to unlock her awaiting message.

**Speedster:**

**Hey….are you there?**

Dick smiles as he releases her shoulder. "I'll let you and your secret friend have a nice private chat. I'm heading for gym class."

"Okay, see you at lunch." Came her reply as she waved him off and began walking towards the building herself. Artemis's fingers went to the phone's screen as she sent her message back to the Speedster.

**Archer: **

**Oh, I suppose so. How are you?**

After hitting the send button, Artemis pulled the door to her chemistry class open and headed immediately for the storage cabinets across the room to put her backpack away. Professor Barry Allan was at the front of the classroom writing the day's assignment on the board as his students continued to file into the classroom. Artemis took her seat at the front of the room and placed her textbook, notebook and pen on the granite table top. She said hello to her lab partners before pulling the notebook cover open to draw arrows on the corner of the first page.

While the archer was busy doodling, a new crowd of students came into the lab, interrupting the calmness of the room with their loud laughter. Artemis frowned before looking up at the group of jocks and cheerleaders that were strolling into the room. It was the same annoying show every day and quite frankly, she was ready to change the channel.

Conner Kent, captain of the football team was at the head of the group of jocks laughing as he tossed a football in-between his hands. Even though football season had long ended in the fall, that didn't stop him from taking one of his favorite objects everywhere he went. Right beside the muscular teen was a lightly freckle-faced girl named Megan Moorse who had been dating Conner for over a year. Her laughter was bright and bubbly and her hair seemed to bounce along with the melodic sound. Artemis had to admit that Megan was a very beautiful girl with a vibe that could make anyone smile. She was captain of the cheer squad, but unlike the rest of the robotic airheads, as Artemis liked to call them, she actually had a brain and quite the personality. How she managed to put up with Conner was a mystery to Artemis.

Behind them was another cheerleader, Linda Cornell. Linda was an attractive raven-haired beauty with piercing green eyes and even though she had good looks, her attitude made her one of the ugliest people to ever cross Artemis's path. Linda's arms were latched onto the worst of the group, Wally West, the school's track star. The red-head had a loud mouth and he always had to be the center of attention. His ego was almost as big as his mouth. Artemis snorted in disgust as she turned away from the group and went back to doodling.

"Hey Uncle Barry." She heard Wally speak from the back of the room. "Are we going to be doing anything fascinating today?"

"Perhaps." Professor Allan spoke from the front of the classroom. "If you can promise not to touch any of the supplies before class starts, we just might go through with the experiment."

As soon as Barry finished speaking, the final bell rang signaling the start of first period. Artemis tried to focus in on Barry's lecture about chemical reactions but the pain in her head was finally beginning to take its toll. She placed a hand to her forehead to try and soothe the pounding coming from beneath it, but the headache only seemed to intensify. A loud ringing sounded in her ears and she closed her eyes to try shake the pain she now found herself in.

Suddenly, she felt a hand touch her shoulder and she jumped in surprise as her eyes shot open. Professor Allan was at her level and hand on her shoulder and she could feel the stares of her fellow students on her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. "You seem as though you're in pain?"

Artemis grit her teeth before shaking her head. "It's just a headache. I'm fine."

"Are you sure you don't need to go and see the nurse?"

Artemis gave his question some thought. The nurse was bound to have some kind of medication to calm the little drummer boy who was beating his drumsticks against her skull.

"I guess I'll go down and see her." She mumbled before grabbing her books and standing to her feet.

Artemis took one step and realized that her legs felt like jelly.

"Would someone like to volunteer to escort Miss Crock down to the nurse's office?" Professor Allan asked his students.

"I'll do it Uncle Barry." Wally said as his hand shot up quickly.

"Wally, this better not be an excuse for you to make a pit stop at the snack machine." The older man said as he shot the teen a warning glance.

"Of course not." Wally said with a sheepish grin. "I'm just concerned about the well-being of a fellow student."

"Alright then. You two head to the nurse's office. The rest of you, split into your groups and I'll pass out today's lab."

Artemis sighed as she headed for the door that Wally was holding open. As soon as they were out in the hall, the red-head began shifting from foot to foot.

"Well, you know where the nurse's station is. So, I guess I'll head for the snack machine. I'll meet you down there in ten?"

"Don't bother." Artemis sighed as she began walking. "I'd hate to pull you away from your precious snacks."

Wally gasped, pretending to be hurt as he watched her go. With a shrug he turned around and headed past the snack machine to his locker. He quickly spun in his combination and popped the door open before taking hold of his phone. He swiped the screen open and read over his latest message.

"Great, she responded." He said with a smile.

Looking around to ensure he wasn't being followed, Wally headed for the locker room near the gym and ducked inside before taking a seat on a metal bench just outside the shower room.

"Alright, time to have a little chat with the archer."

**Speedster:**

**I'm fine. I've been…thinking a lot about our conversation last night. I feel as though I've learned so many new things about you. For example, when you told me you're fifteen and you've never dated before…that kind of surprised me. I mean, how could someone not be attracted to someone with a personality as great as yours?**

Wally began tapping his foot anxiously as he waited for a reply from the girl. After five minutes with no reply, he frowned. Maybe she didn't want to talk to him? Or maybe she was in class and didn't have an open opportunity to message him back. Whatever her reasons for not responding, it was driving him crazy.

Finally, his phone began vibrating in his hand, signaling that a new message had arrived in his inbox. He opened the message quickly and smiled as he read over the message.

**Archer:**

**Hey, I know that people say it's what's on the inside that truly counts, but I'm not even going to lie…the outside matters just as much. I'm not saying I look like some horrific troll doll or anything (you know, those creepy tan-skinned midget dolls with the huge eyes and crazy colored hair that stood on end?), I'm just saying that maybe no one found me appealing to what they were looking for in a girl. Anyways, enough about my love life. What about yours?**

Wally place his hand to his chin in thought. Should he tell this mystery girl about Linda or not? He was really starting to develop feelings for this girl and if he were to tell her that he was involved in a relationship, would it ruin the trust they had been working so hard to build all those months?

Making a decision, Wally sent a new message to the girl.

**Speedster:**

**Let's just say, I've been hoping to find a special girl to spend time with, you know? I need someone who understands me that won't just focus on my social status but my true interests. For example, I want to become a famous scientist one day but all my parents and friends seem to care about is my social status and my athletic skills. As you already know, I'm a very intelligent guy who makes straight-A's and actually finds poetry and science to be two fascinating things in life.**

Wally didn't have to wait long to receive a reply.

**Archer:**

**So, are you evading my question? **

Wally groaned as he wiped a hand over his face. With a heavy sigh, he sent another message to the mystery girl.

**Speedster:**

**It's complicated…I'm dating her but I feel like it's a one-sided relationship. I've been wanting to end things for months but she keeps finding a way to reel me back into to her pond. One of these days I swear I'll...Anyways…are you…going to the dance Friday night?**

* * *

Artemis stared down at her phone with wide eyes from her place on top of the examination table in the nurse's office. She'd been given medicine but the nurse had spotted her bruise beginning to show through her make-up and had offered to get her an ice bag after she'd come up with a lame excuse of falling and hitting her head in the shower.

Had the Speedster really just asked her about that lame dance that she didn't want to go to? With a sigh, Artemis sent him a reply.

**Archer:**

**I don't really know if I should go. I don't do well in crowds. Besides, I have better things to do than to dress up like a geek and go into a gym filled with crazy kids. I could be doing something more productive with my life.**

Artemis sent the message and smiled gratefully as the nurse returned to the room to hand her an ice pack.

"Thanks nurse Dinah." Artemis said softly as she slid off the table. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem Artemis. Now, promise me you'll be more careful? This is the fourth time this month that you've come in here with some kind of crazy injury."

"I'm fine Miss Dinah, really. I'm just a little accident prone."

Artemis waved goodbye, leaving the nurse behind as she made her way out into the hall. Leaning casually against a row of lockers, Artemis opened her phone to read her latest message.

**Speedster:**

**Well…would you go if I gave you a little incentive?"**

Artemis raised an eyebrow before sighing. "I guess I'll bite."

**Archer:**

**What?**

After a few more minutes of waiting, her phone was vibrating with a new message.

**Speedster:**

**I've been longing to meet you for quite some time now and I think the superhero ball is the perfect place to meet up. Come in costume and be prepared to be amazed. We can meet at the center of the dance floor underneath the disco ball. **

Artemis smiled as she shook her head. She then sent him another message.

**Archer:**

**How will I know it's you?**

The next message came quicker than the last.

**Speedster:**

**My costume will give it all away. Hope to see you there archer **

Artemis took a shaky breath as she put her phone to sleep and placed it in her pocket.

"Did I just agree to go on a blind date?" she wondered aloud.

* * *

Artemis approached her usual lunch table with her tray in her hands and took a seat beside Zatanna and Dick. She was about to speak when she noticed an unfamiliar dark-skinned boy sitting on the other side of Dick.

"Um, Dick, who's your friend?" Artemis questioned him with a raised eyebrow.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The boy spoke politely. "My name is Kaldur. I have recently transferred here from California. Today was my first day and I met Richard in gym class. He suggested that I eat lunch with you all. I hope you don't mind."

Artemis stared at the boy wide-eyed before smiling softly. "You just called him Richard." She said trying to contain her laughter.

Dick sighed. "He heard my name during roll call and decided that he likes it better than my nickname."

"Apologies." Kaldur said quickly as he bowed his head to the table to stare at his foot, embarrassment on his face. "If you prefer that I call you…Dick, then I shall call you just that."

"Kaldur, I've been needing to ask," Zatanna spoke up, gaining their table's attention, "why do you speak so formerly? I mean, you don't have to be so polite towards us."

"Apologies Zatanna." He spoke as he looked up to meet with her. "It is how I was raised. My father was a very strict man and…he desired for me to speak in a certain way towards others. I do so out of habit."

"Hey, forget about it." Artemis speaks up causing Kaldur smile at her gratefully. "I know what it's like, having strict parents that is."

Kaldur nodded understandingly before taking a bite out of his turkey sandwich. "So Artemis, you looked as though you had something to tell your friends when you arrived but my presence stopped you. Would you like to tell them now?"

Artemis smiled softly before turning to Dick and Zatanna. "You guys…the Speedster wants to meet in the center of the dance floor at the superhero ball Friday night."

Zatanna squealed with excitement before throwing her arms around the blonde teen to hug her tight.

"I told you going to that dance would be a great idea Artemis. Now, we can all go together! This will be so much fun! I have to go find the perfect costume after school today. Would you like to come with me?"

Artemis's expression fell as thoughts of Lawrence filled her mind. He was going to want the house cleaned and his dinner prepared by the time he got back that night or she'd pay somehow. He'd drag her out of bed by her hair and up onto the roof to give her a beating she'd never forget. Feeling tears brim in her eyes, Artemis stood from the table and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I-I'm sorry Zee, but I have some things I have to do after school for my dad. Why don't you go find one and show it to me tomorrow?"

"Um, okay…?" Zatanna said, not sure of how to respond to the girl's behavior.

The blonde picked her tray up and headed for the trash bins to dump it. She was so busy trying to get out of the lunch room that she didn't notice Wally walking in through the door. The two of them collided, both of them falling to the floor, Artemis hissed as her bruises made contact with the hard tile.

"What the hell?" she here's a female voice come from outside the doorway.

Artemis looked up and met eyes with Wally, his eyes were wide with surprise as he stared back at her. His girlfriend Linda was standing above him with a look of disgust on her face. Megan and Conner stepped through the door and stared down at the two of them.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Megan asked.

"You should watch where you're going loser." Linda's snapped as she reached a hand out towards Wally and helped him up.

"Wally can't be injured, he has a meet to run Saturday." Linda spoke as she began dusting Wally off. "We aren't going to lose that track meet because you decided to be clumsy and hurt him."

"Linda, I'm fine. Now will you back off?" Wally said as he shot her a glare.

"How dare you talk to me that way?" Linda said in disbelief.

Wally held out a hand for Artemis to take. "Sorry about that." He said as he helped her up.

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" Linda asked.

"Linda, please be quiet." Megan said as she began looking around the room at several students who had begun watching them. "You're causing a scene. It was an accident."

"Yeah, an accident." Artemis said with a roll of her eyes. "There is another way things can happen besides them being on purpose."

Linda gasped as Artemis pushed her way past them and stormed down the hallway. Wally watched her as she disappeared down the hall and ducked into the girl's restroom. He then turned back to Linda whose lips were still flapping. She was going on and on about Artemis and how much she couldn't stand her, but what she said next made something snap inside of him.

"She is such a low-class loser. I mean, look at who she hangs out with? That weird Grayson kid, that Satanic Zatanna girl and a boy who acts like little boy lost. Is she that desperate to have someone like her that she'd hang out with the first fish someone threw her?"

"Linda, that's enough!" Wally shouted.

The entire lunchroom seemed to grow quiet at his sudden outburst. A low murmur began to float through the room as Linda glared daggers at him.

"You just yelled at me again!" Linda said. "I can't believe you Wally!"

"I can't believe me either." He said with a shake of his head. "What the heck did I see in you? You are a judgmental, arrogant and stuck-up brat who throws a hissy fit when you can't get your way. You only care about yourself your self-centered air head. If you think I'm going to the dance with you Friday or if I'm going to go anywhere with you for that matter, you can just forget it."

"Wait a second…" Linda said, her eyes narrowing. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"_Breaking up _is too nice of a way to put it. I'm _dumping _you right here and right now."

Linda clicked her tongue in disapproval before giggling. "Oh Wally, you're so funny. I mean, how many times have you…tried to break up with me only to wind up crawling back under my sheets a few days later?"

The lunchroom burst into a loud heckle at that announcement and Wally could feel his cheeks burning with both anger and embarrassment. Fine, if that's the way she wanted to play it, two could play at that game.

"You know what Linda, that may be true, but this time, things are different. I'm going to stop laying with this dog before I wind up with flees."

Once again, the room erupted into an even louder heckle as students began laughing and cheering on Wally. Linda's face reddened with embarrassment as Wally began to exit the lunchroom.

"One more thing." He said as he leaned close to her ear so only she could hear. "I get more turned on by a seven-day-old Salisbury steak than I do by your pathetic excuse for a body."

Linda growled angrily as Wally exited the cafeteria and headed towards the courtyard.

"Well archer, I did it all for you." Wally said as a smile warmed his lips. "I just hope that when I meet you…it will all be worth it."

* * *

**A/N:**** And so ends chapter one. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and although there was a lot in it, I hope it was pleasurable to read. So, go on and leave me a review to let me know what you thought. I can't wait to get some feedback or responses.**


	3. Trust Issues

**A/N:**** I want to take a minute to say thank-you to all of you readers who have decided to review and follow this fanfic. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment and it does me good to know that you all are taking interest in my story. So, kudos to all of you.**

**Now, before I begin I wanted to remind you that this fanfic is rated: T due to the content of this story. There is inapprorpiate language, mentions of abuse and there are _hints _of sexual activity but never drawn out scenes. So if this is going to make any of you uncomfortable, I suggest you not read. For those of you who can handle it, read on. It's not that bad...well it is but...oh, never mind lol**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the Young Justice series that was inspired by the DC comic's universe or any of the show's characters, nor do I own the classic fairytale of Cinderella. However, I did write this story and all plot twists, changes and creations that I made on my own I can take claim over. So please, no stealing.**

* * *

"_**Trust Issues"**_

Artemis stared at the blackboard intently as her professor rambled on about the importance of knowing a foreign language. When she'd signed up for Spanish class, it was merely to fulfill one of her graduation requirements, but she had to admit, she had ended up taking a liking to the subject. She could proudly say that along with English and Vietnamese, Spanish would expand her vocabulary, making her somewhat trilingual. Just as Señora Hernandez crossed the room to the assignment board, the final bell of the day rang. Several students began reaching for their items, their chairs scraping loudly against the floor but Señora wasn't ready to let them go just yet. After reading off the day's assignment and announcing a Spanish Club meeting tomorrow after school, the students were dismissed.

Artemis collected her things and sighed at the realization that the school day had ended. That meant she had to get home and finish all tasks Lawrence had left for her or she'd regret it later in the evening. When she exited the classroom, her ears were greeted by an uproar of laughs a few feet behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked towards her locker and spotted Wally and his friends laughing about something that had happened during their last class period. Much to Artemis's surprise, Linda was standing away from Wally, her arms folded across her chest as she stared at him angrily. With a shrug, the blonde continued on her way to her locker.

Dick was leaning against her locker with Zatanna and Kaldur by his side as they waited patiently for her to arrive. She smiled in greeting before unlocking the metal cabinet to retrieve her bag and stuffing her needed books into its mouth before closing the locker with a loud slam.

"So, you want to tell us what happened during lunch?" Dick asked with a raised eyebrow as Artemis leaned back against the wall of lockers.

"Yeah Artemis," Zatanna said, curiosity coating her voice, "what happened with you and Wally West?"

"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and we ran into each other, that's all." Artemis said with a shrug.

"I'm not buying it Arty." Zatanna said. "We saw the way Linda was screaming at you, not to mention the big fight that happened between her and Wally after you left. Apparently, he broke up with her, claiming that she was too self-centered for him."

"Let's not forget his claim that she was horrible in bed." Dick said with a laugh.

"Well, that would explain the scene I saw after Spanish class." Artemis said as she pushed herself off the locker and began walking. The others followed closely behind her, only to split up at her sides after catching up.

"So Kaldur," Artemis spoke, changing the subject, "when did you move here, yesterday?"

"I've been here for almost a week." The shy boy spoke. "It took me an entire week to get registered. Let's just say…my dad isn't the most helpful person in my life."

"What about your mom?" Zatanna asked. "Doesn't she help you out?"

Kaldur shook his head as a sad smile appeared on his lips. "My mother passed away when I was very young." He explained. "I was six."

Artemis's eyes widened with surprise. It seemed she and Kaldur had more in common than she originally thought.

The gang exited the front doors of the school and headed down the stone steps towards the front walk where several buses were gathered to take anxious students back to their various places of residence.

Zatanna pointed to a blazer parked across the street. "I see my dad. Are you sure you don't want to go costume shopping with me Artemis?"

"I'm positive Zee. I have to work tonight, plus the chores that are waiting for me at home. Just text me a picture of your costume when you've found one."

Zatanna smiled before waving. "I'll see you all tomorrow then, bye."

The remaining three waved the raven-haired beauty off as she disappeared in the crowd of students to climb into her dad's truck to head to the suburbs. Dick and Artemis turned to Kaldur once out of sight.

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow then Kaldur?" Artemis said hopefully, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You shall." He said with an identical smile on his face. Kaldur then proceeded to disappear amongst the other students to make his way home.

"Well Artemis, our chariot awaits." Dick said jokingly as he gestured his arms towards the bus. Artemis laughed before climbing up the steps and taking a seat in the rear. Dick plopped down beside her a few seconds later and propped his feet up on the seat in front of them.

"I really wish you would have gone with Zatanna." Dick spoke as the bus pulled away from the curb. "It would have done you some good to get away from your house to go somewhere other than school every day."

"Dick, you know I can't skip out on my chores. Besides, if I don't give my dad half our rent money by the end of the week, there's no telling what he's going to do."

Dick stared at her sadly before turning to face the front of the bus. They rode in silence for several minutes as the scenery changed for the second time that day to that of Gotham's slums. The bus pulled up to the curb and its doors open, releasing all riders who desired to get off. Dick and Artemis gathered their things and headed down the steps and stepped onto the dirty sidewalk to begin their walk to Artemis's house.

"There's Alfred." Artemis said pointing across the street towards a nice sports car parked on the side of the road. "Looks like he didn't bring the limo today."

"I think I'm going to tell him to go ahead." Dick said with a smile.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at her friend's words. "Won't your father get upset with you if you don't go home?"

"Not at all. I'll just let him know that I'm hanging out with a friend. I want to help you finish your chores so you can have some fun tonight, and don't even try to change my mind. You're my friends and friends help each other."

Artemis smiled. "I'll let you help me under one condition. You have to tell Zatanna how you feel about her. Stop avoiding the obvious Dick."

A blush spread quickly across the younger teen's cheeks as he tugged at his shirt collar. "I'll tell her…eventually."

"By the end of this week." Artemis said with a laugh as she pushed the door to the apartment complex open. "Go ahead and tell Alfred you're staying. I'll be up in the apartment."

Dick nodded before jogging across the street. Artemis walked into the building and sighed as she walked across the sickly green carpet towards the stair well. She climbed all six flights and made her way into the sixth floor hall towards her apartment. When she made her way inside, her eyes fell upon an envelope sitting upright on the kitchen table against a coffee mug. With a raised eyebrow, the blonde crossed the room and took the envelope into her hands. She carefully slid her finger underneath the lip and tore the seal open to reach for the contents inside. Her hand came in contact with a check that she pulled out in one swift motion. A gasp came from her mouth at the sight of the monetary amount of four-hundred dollars written on the check. The name of some fancy company Artemis had never heard of was printed on the check and her name was who the check was addressed to.

"What are you looking so happy for?" Dick's voice came, pulling her out of her shock. Artemis looked up and showed him the check as the apartment door slammed closed behind him.

"Some company mailed me a check…or maybe they didn't."

"Come again?" Dick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I came in the house and it was just sitting upright on the table. There's no return address or an address of any kind on the envelope and nothing was inside except for the check. Maybe it's a hoax?"

Dick to the check from her hand and studied it intently before holding it up to the sunlight streaming through the window above the kitchen sink.

"This check is legit." He said with a shrug before passing it back to her. "Congratulations Artemis, you just made four hundred dollars."

Artemis's smile quickly faded as thoughts of Lawrence passed through her mind. "Dad is never going to let me keep this check, and before you suggest Io hide it, that won't work either. He knows this house like the back of his hand and he would know if and where I would hide something."

"Why don't you let me hold on to it then?" Dick suggested. "You know I would never spend it, being that I already have money of my own. I could be like your personal bank teller or something?"

Artemis giggled at the suggestion before passing the check back to her friend. "Well then sir, I would like to deposit this check."

"Would you like a receipt?" Dick said with a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

The two of them burst into a fit of laughter that doesn't last long. Artemis's phone starts ringing, instantly silencing the both of them. It was a ringtone both of them knew fairly well, signaling them that Lawrence was calling. Dick took a seat at the table and tried to remain still while Artemis slid a finger across the screen to answer the awaiting call.

"Hello?" she answered.

"_Hello pumpkin. Have a nice day at school?"_

"Y-yeah." She stammered. "I have a few homework assignments to complete and I got the information for my archery tournament Saturday. I'll leave the info on your desk and finish my homework after my chores."

"_What about work? Isn't it your payday today? The rent is due tomorrow."_

"I've got the rent covered dad. Oh, and about tomorrow…there's this school dance and I was wondering if maybe…you'd allow me to go?"

Lawrence's laughter cracked through the speaker of the phone causing Artemis and Dick to nearly jump out of their skin.

"_Have you lost your mind? You're going to be training twice as hard tomorrow evening. The tournament is Saturday remember? Tell you what, if you can manage to get perfect shots and make the place shine, maybe you can go to the end of the dance and watch all your little classmates drive off."_

"Never mind, forget I asked." Artemis said with a half-hearted laugh. "It was a silly idea."

"_And what have I told you about those silly ideas of yours? They're never going to work out so you may as well lock those silly dreams and thoughts of yours up and throw away the key. You don't need to think, I do that for you."_

Dick clenched his fists angrily at the sight of tears pooling in Artemis's eyes.

"Right…So, I'm going to finish up the housework and get your dinner in the fridge and I'll-"

"_There's been a change of plans princess. I'm bringing a buddy home and he's got a thing for blondes. Think you can cancel work tonight?"_

"What am I supposed to tell them?" Artemis said quickly, her stomach fluttering with panic. "And what about the check?"

"_Hon, with the money he's going to give you for showing him a good time, you won't even care about that little check. Now, finish your chores and get cleaned up. I'm sending him over in a few hours. And baby girl…don't disappoint daddy. You know what'll happen if you do."_

Artemis nodded and ended the call before walking over to the kitchen table on wobbly legs. She collapsed in the metal chair and placed her face in her hand. Dick watched with a heavy heart as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

"Arty…are you okay?" he asked as he reached out to touch her shoulder.

Artemis swatted his hand away before lifting her head to look at him. Dick's mouth fell open slightly at her puffy, red eyes.

"You have to go." She said quickly, her voice a whisper.

"I am not leaving you here." Dick said, his voice heavy with great seriousness. "You are coming back to the manor with me."

"Dick, please just go!" Artemis shouted as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why do you insist on staying here with a man that uses you as his personal punching bag and sex slave for his friends? Why don't you call the police? Stand up for yourself for Christ's sake Artemis! You're my best friend and I shouldn't have to be afraid of leaving you every day out of fear of not seeing you the next day…I care about you Artemis and we've been friends for so long…I just don't understand. Every time Zatanna and I find ourselves in a bind, you always give us a suggestion or provide a way for us to get out of the situation, but when I try to help you, it's like you put up this impenetrable wall up around yourself and ignore and kind of help that is tossed your way."

"Dick, you don't understand! He's all I have left! My mother has been missing for years. She's probably dead, and then there's Jade. Some older sister she was. She abandoned me and left me alone to deal with my father on my own."

"Don't you get it Artemis?" Dick shouted as he stood to his feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You don't have to stay here and put up with this. Does Lawrence really have that much control over you that you're afraid to get out and get help? You have a cell phone on you and he knows that. Why not call the police when he's away or better yet, why don't you pick up and leave like Jade did? I'll admit, I disapprove of your sister leaving you behind but I don't disagree with her tactics. She left to save herself and you should do the same. I'm giving you a door to run through Artemis…come back to the manor with me and leave this life behind. You're only getting closer and closer to your grave with each passing day that you stay here under his rule and thumb!"

Artemis stood to her feet quickly and opened the door. "Just go…" she whispered before wrapping her arms around herself again and closing her eyes.

Dick sighed before grabbing his bag to sling it over his shoulder in one swift motion. "Fine, I'll go."

Artemis watched as Dick passed through the doorway and disappeared into the stairwell. With a shudder, she closed the door and leaned against the hard metal structure before sliding down to the floor. She remained like that for several minutes crying her heart out.

"Dick…" she sobbed through her tears. "I am so sorry. I want to leave, I really do but…I just don't have the strength…"

Artemis was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of her phone vibrating on the table where she'd left it. She scrambled to her feet and swiped the screen open with hopes that Dick had messaged her saying that he was sorry but instead, she was greeted by the sight of her email box lit up.

"Speedster…" she whispered before opening the message.

**Speedster:**

**So…you never told me what kind of costume you're going to be wearing tomorrow.**

Artemis smiled at the message before sending her response.

**Archer:**

**Just so you know, you never really told me what your costume was going to be either, so I guess I'll use the same ploy you did…**_**It'll be obvious**_**.**

It didn't take a long for the Speedster's reply to be sent.

**Speedster:**

**So…I can definitely see a Green Arrow ensemble being pieced together. Am I right?**

Artemis laughed at his response, but she had to admit, it was a good idea. Green Arrow was one of her favorite superheroes and not just because his costume was her favorite color. He was an amazing archer who could take down any feat. His archery skills inspired her own and made her even more determined to get bull's eyes with every shot she released.

**Archer:**

**Perhaps **

**Speedster:**

**Well, I can't wait to see you…I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time. I mean, how often do you meet someone that is totally compatible with you, and not just by zodiac signs. I mean, we like the same kind of music, we're both incredibly smart and we have big dreams to chase. You're funny and you put things into perspective in ways I've never even thought of before. I can't wait to meet the girl of my dreams.**

A blush spread across Artemis's cheeks like a wild fire at his words. They were sweet and as far as she knew, honest. She did have to admit, she had yet to meet someone who liked her on the level that the Speedster did, but what if that all changed when he met her? As far as he knew, she was a smart and athletic girl who dreamed of leaving home in seek of thrill and adventure. He had no idea about the intimate, deep, dark secrets of her life. She had hinted at the abuse she suffered from at the hands of her father, but she never dove too far into the subject and he never pressed her on the issue. For that, she was grateful. However, she couldn't help but to think _what if__**. **_If they did meet and he found out about the details of her private life, would he stick with her through thick in thin or run away at the first chance he could get? Would he be upset and accuse her of being a punching bag as Dick had?

**Archer:**

**What if I'm nothing like you expected? What if…we meet and you'd rather cower and run away?**

**Speedster:**

**That would never happen. I'm not the kind of guy who just abandons someone because I can't handle a situation. Come on Archer. **

Artemis smiled at his words. So he admitted that he wouldn't run, but what about her? Would she run out of fear of hurting him? Only time would tell…**  
**

* * *

Artemis lay in her bed still as she clutched her quilt to her exposed body beneath. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she wouldn't voice her sadness and humiliation. She stared at the wall beside her face at the peeling, green wallpaper that was in serious need of a touch-up as the other occupant in the room slid out of her bed and zipped his pants up. She waited patiently for him to re-dress himself and leave her as she silently counted the passing minutes.

The man placed a hand to her shoulder and she flinched at his touch. He leaned down close to her ear and placed a kiss to her temple. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell of liquor emanating from his breath.

"That was amazing…" he said, his voice longing. "Your dad was right about you princess. What do you say we make another date? Or if your schedule's full, I'm up for a few more rounds. What do you say?"

Artemis sat up, careful to keep her chest concealed beneath the quilt before looking over her shoulder to shoot him a glare.

"You got what you wanted. Now leave your money and go."

"I don't think so." The man said as he wove his calloused fingers through her messy strands of blonde hair. "Your dad told me to take as long as I needed and I'm not finished with you yet. So I suggest you drop the quilt and give me what I came here for."

The man crawled onto the bed towards her and she backed herself into the wall. She whimpered before once again being taken into the man's arms.

* * *

When Lawrence came into the apartment, he was pleased to find his dinner wrapped on a paper plate in the fridge. He grabbed a plate along with a can of beer before making his way into the living room. The clock read 2:30am as he took a seat on the battered sofa and propped his feet up on the table. Taking hold of the remote, he flipped the television on to the Sci-fi channel and he watched the alien horror film that was displayed through the fuzzy old entertainment center. Just as he was finishing his meal, he heard the backroom door slam shut. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned forward to peer down the hallway where his friend was emerging from Artemis's room.

"Dave, what are you still doing here?"

The large, muscular man came into the room, his boots echoing loudly off the hardwood floors. His black hair seemed to glow from the light emitted from the television.

"I came by around eleven but your daughter…she's something else Lawrence."

A sick grin crossed Dave's features as thoughts of his previous hours with the blonde filled his mind.

"Never mind the fun you had." Lawrence said as a look of annoyance crossed his face. "What about the money? Being that you decided to take more than the time I allowed you with my daughter, I expect to be paid three times as much."

"Of course Lawrence. I left the money with the blonde. Your expenses should be well taken care of for a while. Well, I best be going now. Have a nice night."

Lawrence watched Dave go before standing to make his way down the hall to Artemis's room. Artemis was curled up in a ball on the corner of her bed with her arms wrapped around her. She'd managed to find a long t-shirt to slide on over her bare body after Dave had left her and she had a death grip on her pillow. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Lawrence walked through her doorway.

"Hey princess, dinner was great and apparently, so were you. Where's the money?"

Artemis lifted her arm and pointed at the nightstand table where a wad of crumpled twenties lay beside her phone. Lawrence smirked before walking over to the table to take the cash. He sorted through each bill, his smirk growing into a smile with the sight of each twenty passing between his fingers.

"Well done baby girl. We have enough for the rent." Lawrence sifted through the stack another time and tossed a crumpled twenty onto the bed to land at Artemis's bare feet. "There you go, a little keepsake for doing such a good job. Now get yourself cleaned up. We have a training session in two hours."

"Why?" Artemis whispered through a choked up sob.

Lawrence paused before turning his head to her. "What did you just say?" he asked as his eyebrows narrowed dangerously low.

"How could you allow him to come in here and…violate me like that? Are you really that heartless that you would allow someone to-"

Artemis was cut off as Lawrence's hand struck her hard across her face. Artemis was stunned by the sudden action. She slowly lifted her hand to her cheek and flinched as pain seared through the forming welt. Her eyes then moved to Lawrence who was staring at her in disgust.

"You have some nerve talking to me like that." He snapped. "Where are your manners and your respect? You know money is hard to come by in our family Artemis. I just thought that this would be an easier way to make cash."

"So…you exploit me and force me into some…degrading prostitution business? I'm not a call girl dad, I'm your daughter!"

Lawrence was angered again by her words and shoved her into the wall. Artemis let out a cry of pain as her head slammed against the hard surface, hitting the injury she'd obtained from him early yesterday morning.

"No child of mine will talk to me in such a way. Now, get cleaned up and go to bed. We can talk more about your behavior during training tomorrow morning."

Artemis watched him leave her room as tears fell down her face. Even though she was scared shitless, she had to admit she was proud of herself. She'd stood up for herself, stood up to her father for that matter and even though she was punished for stepping out of her usual routine, she couldn't help but to feel a little proud of herself. Thoughts of the training session awaiting her crossed her mind and she was suddenly filled with fear. With the way she'd just behaved, there was no way in hell he was going to go easy on her. Not knowing what else to do, Artemis sat up quickly and took hold of her phone. After hitting her speed dial, she ran a hand through her hair and held the phone to her ear.

"_Hello?" _Dick's voice came through the speaker, heavy with sleep.

"D-Dick?" she stammered, frightened by how small and terrified her voice sounded. "It's Artemis…look, I know you're probably still upset about what happened earlier but I-"

"_What happened?" _He said, anger hidden behind his voice.

"I'm scared…I don't know what else to do."

There was a pause followed by the sound of shuffling and a door closing.

"_Try your best to sneak out and meet me at the drug store a few blocks from your house. Alfred and I will be there shortly."_

Artemis smiled before sniffling. "Thanks Dick."

The line clicked as Dick hung up and Artemis quietly slid out from beneath her covers to tiptoe over to her closet. After stuffing a duffle bag with clothes and grabbing her backpack for school, she slid on a pair of gym shoes and quietly crept over to her window. As she slid the glass up to the top, thoughts of when Jade made her escape nearly three years ago filled her head. She had been so angry and upset with her older sister for running out on their family and leaving her all alone to suffer their father's wrath but now, she was seeing things a little more clearly. It was every girl for herself in their household and it was about time she start listening to Dick's pleas for once in her life. Even if it wasn't forever, she was going to get away tonight to give herself a little space from her "master."

Using some of the training her father had instilled in her, Artemis slid out the window and held onto the ledge before stealthily letting go and landing with a quiet thud on the fire escape below. She then slid over the bar of the fire escape, not wanting to alert the other residents and dropped down to the sidewalk. Her body and legs were tired from the abuse they had suffered during the evening, but she ignored the painful protests and ran down the block to the drugstore. Being sure she wouldn't be seen, Artemis ducked into the alley beside the store and hid behind a dumpster. Realizing she was alone, she rested her head against the brick wall and allowed her eyes to slide closed to meet with an anticipated sleep.

Artemis was awoken by someone touching her shoulder and she opened her mouth to scream, but a hand was quickly placed over her parted lips to muffle her screams.

"Artemis, calm down!" she heard Dick say in a whisper. "It's only me."

Artemis sighed with relief before grabbing his wrist to yank his hand away from her mouth. "You scared me!"

"So I see." Dick said.

Artemis averted her gaze the floor in shame as Dick's eyes looked her over taking in ever cut, scrape and bruise that decorated her skin. He reached out and took her chin into his palm to tilt her head upward. He cringed at the sight of her bloody lips and a nice shiner on her left eye.

"Your dad really let you have it, huh?"

"The shiner and the bloodied lip are courtesy of my dad. Everything else…were parting gifts from his friend."

Dick slammed a fist to the ground angrily forcing water from a puddle upward and onto Artemis's bare legs. She jumped in surprise at his sudden outburst, but she said nothing. What could she say to him? After all, this is what he had been warning her about all along.

"Can we go?" she asked him in a small voice. "It's freezing out here and I don't even want to think about what dad is going to do if he finds out I've ran."

"Alfred's a few blocks away. Let's get going before someone sees us."

Artemis nodded before standing to her feet. Dick took her bags and led her down the block and into the back of the awaiting limo. The two then climbed in and left the lonely street behind with all the horrid memories of the night.

* * *

Artemis sighed with comfort as the warm water from the shower head sprayed over her tattered skin. She allowed her hair to absorb the water as she looked down at the white marble floor beneath her feet. She frowned at the small amount of blood mixed with water slowly flowed through the drain. Looking away, she took hold of the washcloth Dick had left for her and lathered a good amount of lavender soap into the rag to wash away the dirt and filth on her skin. She then proceeded to wash her mane of hair before rinsing herself off completely and stepping out of the shower to dry. Dick had left a first aid box on the bathroom counter and she quickly applied peroxide to all exposed cuts and bandaged herself up. She then dabbed Witch Hazel onto a cotton ball and gently dabbed the liquid around her eye to help with the swelling. After fixing herself up, she slid on her pajamas and exited the restroom.

Dick was waiting at the foot of his king-sized bed when she entered his room again. He smiled at the sight of her.

"It's amazing how much good can be done by taking a shower." He said jokingly as he removed his shades to flash her a genuine smile.

Artemis wrapped her arms around her chest and smiled at Dick. "Thanks Dick…for everything, and I do mean everything. I have to admit, I was quite surprised that you answered the phone after the way I treated you earlier. You were just trying to help and I-"

"Hey," Dick said, cutting her off, "let's not worry about what happened earlier. All that should matter is that you finally came to your senses and left that creep of a father."

Artemis bit her bottom lip before averting her gaze to the floor. Dick didn't fail to notice the small gesture and sighed.

"You're going back…aren't you…?"

Artemis nodded weakly. "I just needed to get away to clear my head and calm down. I would have gone crazy if I had stayed in there one more second. Look Dick…I know it isn't safe to be there with him, but until I can figure something else out…I have to go back."

"Artemis, call the police and get him locked away. He can't hurt you if he's in jail."

"Dick, you don't understand, do you? The only reason I haven't left is because I need him to tell me where my mother is."

Dick's mouth fell open at her words. Artemis never spoke of her mother under any circumstances.

"My mom disappeared when I was six and my dad was the last one to have seen her. Every now and again, I'll ask him what happened to her and he always promises to tell me, but only if I continue to train and stay with him. Now, I know what you're thinking. What if he's just pulling my leg about knowing where she is, but even if that's true, it's a chance I'm going to have to take. Even if she's dead, at least I'll have closure. So I have to stay Dick. My mother is my only chance of leaving him forever."

Dick nodded his head understandingly. He wasn't going to press the subject any further.

"Look, we have school in a few hours. You can stay in the guest room down the hall."

"You sure your dad won't mind."

Dick nodded. "Alfred and I are the only ones home. Dear old dad had a meeting overseas for Wayne Enterprises and he won't be back until Sunday morning. He wouldn't mind if you stayed over Artemis and you know that."

Artemis nodded before walking over to the door. She placed her hand on the handle and paused before looking over her shoulder to smile softly at Dick.

"Thanks for being here for me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Goodnight."

Dick watched as Artemis closed the door before falling on his back to stare up at the ceiling.

"So, the key to Artemis leaving that bastard forever is to find her mom. Hmm….looks like I have a little detective work to do."

* * *

Artemis placed her phone on the nightstand table before crawling into the king sized bed and snuggling into the covers. She sighed in comfort. After all, it was a major upgrade from the horrible box-spring she slept on back in the slums. She nuzzled her head against the plush pillow and allowed her eyes to slide closed. Just before sleep could overcome her small form, her phone began vibrating nosily on the table beside her. With a groan, she reached a hand out to take hold of the device. An email notice was on the screen.

**Speedster:**

**Look, I know it's late and you may think I'm totally insane for saying this…but I suddenly got a bad feeling and decided to hit you up to check on you. Let's just say, I know when someone's in trouble and I couldn't help but to feel that you were the one in trouble.**

Artemis's eyes widened at the message. How could he possibly know that she was going through hell that night? Perhaps he was psychic and could read her mind or sense her energy. Hey, there were crazy villains at that very moment who could read minds and control nature, it could very well be possible that this secret admirer of hers possessed powers too.

**Archer:**

**Hey there…Let's just say it's been a rough night and I'd rather not go into detail. Thanks for checking in though. It was…sweet?**

**Speedster:**

**That's me, always looking out for my friends. So…about us meeting at the dance…what if we decide to take things further than an email friendship/relationship. Have you ever thought about that?**

**Archer:**

**Actually, no. I don't really fantasize or daydream. I never seem to have the time. My busy schedule's has been thwarting of guys for fifteen years now. In fact…I've never really been romantically involved with anyone before.**

**Speedster:**

**Seriously? Lucky me!**

**Archer:**

**Hey, it's not funny. I happen to think that relationships are a serious thing. Call me picky, but I look for specific things in a guy to ensure that I will be with someone who loves, cares for and respects me as a person and won't just use me for their own personal gain.**

**Speedster:**

**Wow…that was really deep Archer. You really feel strongly about this, don't you?**

**Archer: **

**Of course I do. So let's get one thing straight…when we meet, I want to meet and see the real you, not some phony charade. I have to know you so I can learn to trust you. Let's just say, I trust very few people in life. So let me ask you this…can I trust you to be the same funny and caring guy you are online when I really meet you, or will you put up a front?**

There was a pause after her last message, giving Artemis a few minutes to rest her eyes. The Speedster had her phone vibrating with a new message five minutes later.

**Speedster:**

**The first time we talked to each other, you said you love it most when someone is honest with you, so I'm going to be honest with you now…I will show my real self to you and only you. I'm not ashamed of who I am, I'm just not ready for the world to know the real me. I will admit though…I am glad that you're the first person I can open up to without any second thoughts or worries. You have never judged me and I will never judge you…that's promise.**

**Archer:**

**Well, I guess that's a start **** Look Speedster, I'm not feeling so great right now. I'm going to pop an aspirin and hit the hay. I'll talk to you tomorrow.**

**Speedster:**

**Most definitely **

Artemis smiled and set her phone on the nightstand table once more before finally allowing her body to succumb to slumber. Finally, she wouldn't have to worry about the horror she had suffered that evening. She could finally be left at peace to dream of her beautiful mother and hopes of someday finding her.

* * *

**A/N:**** And so ends another chapter. So, go ahead and leave me a review. I am eager to read about your thoughts on the most recent chapter. See you at the next update.**

**Special Thanks to these Readers for Reviewing:**

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**A/N:**** Thanks to all of you for reviewing the second chapter. Your reviews really meant a lot to me and they help encourage me to continue on with this story. Reviews let me know what you, my readers, think of the story and where I need areas of improvement. Keep them coming!**


	4. Clashing Colors

**A/N:**** Sorry everyone for such a long wait, but I am back in school for the fall semester of my junior year of college. For those of you who understand the stress of lectures, speaker series events, job fairs, exams and part-time jobs, you understand why updating takes longer than usual. The point is, I'm back now and we can continue reading this rendition of **_**Cinderella**_**.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the DC Nation cartoon series **_**Young Justice **_**or any of the show's characters. They are all property of DC comics, Cartoon Network and the show's writers and producers. Also, I do not own any rendition of the popular fairytale **_**Cinderella**_**. This plot and all original characters featured in this story do, however, belong to me. So please, NO STEALING. Thank you.**

* * *

"_**Clashing Colors"**_

Artemis weakly opened her eyelids as her ringtone blared loudly through her phone's speaker, vibrating the nightstand table beside her. With a heavy sigh, she reached her arm out from beneath the covers to take hold of the smooth case and answer the impending call.

"Hello?" she spoke, her voice hoarse and dry.

"_Where are you?"_ Lawrence's voice came through the speaker, his voice low and dangerous. Artemis sat upright quickly and ran a hair through her wild blonde locks as she racked her brain for some sort of explanation.

"_Artemis, I'm getting impatient. Now, you'd better have a good explanation as to why you aren't in the apartment or better yet, why you missed your training session. I thought I made myself clear a few hours ago when I said you had to pay for your disrespect."_

"I-I'm sorry dad," she stammered before clearing her throat, "I forgot to tell you that I had to work this morning."

It was silent for a few moments as her father took in her words. _"Since when do you work the a.m. shift? You know I hate it when you miss practice. Are you deliberately trying to piss me off today?"_

"Not at all. You see, I was scheduled to work during the archery tournament Saturday and it was too late to take the day off. I know how much that tournament means to the both of us so I spoke to my manager and asked if there was anything I could do to get the day off. She said I needed to come in today and change the store's displays. I also have to do a bit of re-stocking items. I apologize for not telling you."

Lawrence's sigh floated through the speaker making Artemis smile with relief. He'd bought her story.

"_Alright baby girl. Just don't let it happen again. I get off work late tonight and I expect my dinner to be in the fridge at twelve sharp. I'll be home and we can have a late night training session. You've got to be ready for that tournament tomorrow."_

"I know dad."

Artemis waited for the call to end before tossing the phone to the edge of the bed. Sparing a glance at the digital clock beside her, she decided to get up and prepare herself for the rest of her day. After all, it isn't everyday she got to bathe in a porcelain tub in a mansion.

* * *

When Artemis exited the bathroom, her nose was greeted by a delicious scent that seemed to pull her feet towards the grand staircase. She followed the scent and placed a hand to her tight, growling stomach before descending the staircase and making her way into the luxury kitchen. Alfred was standing at the stove finishing up a batch of scrambled eggs that he placed in a serving bowl on the counter beside two tall stacks of blueberry pancakes. Dick was seated at the large dining table scrolling down the screen of his I-pad. The two of them looked up as Artemis stepped into the kitchen and cleared her throat.

"Good morning." She said with a cheerful smile. Alfred smiled back at her before grabbing both plates of pancakes and heading over to the table. He placed one platter in front of Dick and the other in front of the chair to his right.

"Good morning Lady Artemis." Alfred said, his accent heavily coating his words. "I take it you slept well last night?"

Artemis thanked Alfred before walking to take a seat beside Dick. He quickly closed the open screen on his I-pad and pulled up the _Gotham Gazette _webpage. He didn't bother to look up and acknowledge her presence and that hurt the older teen a lot, but she said nothing and waited as Alfred scooped eggs and placed a few bacon strips onto both of their plates. Lastly, he poured two cups of juice into a pair of glasses and drenched the warm pancakes in blueberry syrup.

"Breakfast is served." He spoke with a proud smile. "You two finish up while I pull the car around front. We shall be leaving in twenty minutes."

The two teens thanked the butler as he made his exit before dining in silence. After five minutes of nothing but the sound of forks scraping against plates, Artemis growled and slammed her fork down on the marble table top.

"Dick, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice sounded concerned.

Dick raised an eyebrow as he looked up at her. "You can't seriously be asking me that right now?" he said in disbelief. "Have the events of last night just slipped your mind Artemis?"

"Of course they haven't. I just thought that you understood why I choose to stay in the situation I've been forced into."

"Artemis, I'm never going to understand why you insist on staying with that man. How can you be so weak and subjective to him?"

Artemis frowned with a sigh before placing her hand on top of his. Dick averted his gaze to the table top as he clenched his fork tight in his held fist.

"Dick…I'm a lot stronger than I look." She said with a smile. "I can handle this for just a while longer."

"Artemis, if you're so tough, why can't you stand up to him and do what's right?"

She didn't know what to say to answer his question. She stared at him for a few silent moments until he looked up at her with hurt in his blue eyes.

"Why do you insist on hiding what you go through every day? If you want to be strong, leave that bastard and call the police. You do not deserve the harsh treatment you go through every day. I hate that you're lying to everyone's faces, putting up a front as though you're okay. Zatanna may not say it to your face, but she is worried about you and she is almost one-hundred percent convinced that you're hiding something from her. Then there's Kaldur. We may have known him for a short time, but Artemis, I think he knows something's up too. Are you really going to continue going through this situation and be perceived as a liar? Is this the person you want to meet the Speedster at the dance tonight?"

Artemis's eyes widened at his words. Was she really that easy to read through? What if Dick was right about everything? If Kaldur and Zatanna were suspicious, who was she to lie to them about what she was going through? She told the Speedster on various occasions that being honest is what's most important. What kind of person would she be if she were to lie?

Artemis is suddenly pulled from her thoughts when Dick stands from the table causing his chair to scrape loudly against the floor. She watches as he carries his dishes over to the sink before returning to the table to sling his backpack over his shoulder.

"Let's not talk about that right now. It's time to leave."

Artemis nodded before standing to clear her dishes as well. She then followed Dick out the front doors and into the back door of the limo.

* * *

Zatanna sat on the edge of the school's fountain swinging her legs back and forth as Kaldur sat beside her. The two of them were excitedly talking about the dance when Dick and Artemis walked up to them.

"Good morning you two." Zatanna said cheerfully as she and Kaldur stood to their feet.

"Yes, good morning." Kaldur spoke with a warm smile. His eyes moved to Artemis and his smile instantly left his face. His eyes looked her over taking in the sight of small bruises here and there and a black eye that was hidden poorly behind concealer.

"Artemis, are you alright?" Kaldur questioned her, making the entire area fill with tension. "What has happened to you? You're covered with bruises."

Zatanna gasped before moving quickly to gently take her friend's chin into the palm of her hand, causing the blonde to flinch in pain. Tilting her head slightly, Zatanna observed the bruises that were peeking from beneath the smudged make-up before placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"What on earth happened to you?" Zatanna questioned, worry coating her words.

"It's nothing you guys, really."

Zatanna placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"You aren't serious Artemis? These bruises are really bad. Telling me not to freak out isn't an option. Now, explain to me, what happened?"

Artemis shot Dick a look out of the corner of her eye to plead for help, but he shook his head before adjusting his aviators and shoving his hands into his pockets. He obviously wasn't going to be of much help.

"I got hurt working last night. My manager had me lifting boxes in the storage room and a shelf collapsed on top of me."

Zatanna bit her bottom lip, unsure of whether or not she should believe the girl, but one glance at Dick made her nod. She didn't believe Artemis's explanation, but it was more than obvious that the girl wasn't going to tell her the truth anytime soon.

"Anyways, did you find a costume?" Artemis questioned as she tried her best to hide her visible bruises. "You never sent me a picture last night."

Zatanna smiled, instantly forgetting their previous conversation before pulling out her phone. After scrolling across the screen to open the image, she passed the phone to Artemis. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of a magician's costume before showing the screen to Dick who also raised an eyebrow.

"You're going as a magician?" Dick spoke. "Please, tell me how a magician qualifies to be a hero."

Zatanna sighed before tossing her hair over her right shoulder. "I happen to think magicians are pretty cool." She said in her defense. "Just think about it. A magician could cast a spell to take down their enemies in the most unimaginable ways. Then there's the most important detail. The costume is absolutely amazing. I'm going to have the hottest costume at the dance."

Dick cleared his throat before taking the phone from Artemis to hand it back to Zatanna. "Yes, I'm sure you'll look great tonight."

Zatanna smiled before sliding her phone into her pocket. "So Kaldur, who are you dressing up as tonight? Do you have a favorite superhero that you're going to represent?"

Kaldur smiled. "I do have an idea in mind. Please, do not laugh, but I am a member of Aquaman's fan club."

"Seriously?" Dick asked with raised eyebrows. "I never thought for one second that you were a fan club member, let alone a member of Aquaman's."

Kaldur nodded before rubbing the back of his head with slight embarrassment. "I lived in California before moving here and I loved going to the beach. The water fascinates me so much that I can spend hours in it. I feel as though it is a part of me. When I was younger and saw Aquaman on the television, I began to admire him because he protects the waters that I love so dearly."

"So, you're going as Aquaman?" Artemis questioned with admirable smile.

"Something of the sorts." Kaldur said, a soft smile on his lips to match hers. "I decided to create my own persona for this dance. After all, it is quite obvious that our fellow classmates will be taking all of the usual heroes' identities at the dance this evening. I decided to create a sidekick for the noble Aquaman. I will be Aqualad this evening."

"Wicked cool." Zatanna said with a smile. "What about you two, Dick and Artemis?"

Dick smiled. "I'm going as Nightwing, an intelligent hero who works under the cover of night with great acrobatic skills. I'm agreeing with the whole original costume idea. I want to be someone no one will expect. Artemis, what about you?"

"You guys, I probably won't be able to come."

The first bell of the day rung throughout the courtyard, pulling the teens' attention towards the main doors of the school where other students were beginning to head inside to their morning classes. The four of them began walking towards the door so they could also head to class.

"Artemis, you can't miss the dance tonight." Zatanna whined. "It's going to be the biggest dance of the school year. Everyone's going to be there, there's going to be great food and music and plus, you have to meet Speedster! You aren't seriously going to miss out on an amazing opportunity just because of your dad, are you?"

Artemis frowned, instantly darkening the mood as they walked through the main doors.

"Zatanna, you don't understand how strict my dad is. He'd never let me go to something as silly as a dance. I understand that I will be missing out on a fun night and that I may never get to meet Speedster, but there's no other way to fix this situation."

Zatanna placed her hand to her chin in thought and smiled before snapping. "I just got an idea. What if you...sneak out for a few hours?"

Artemis's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. I can't even begin to imagine how much trouble I would be in if I snuck out."

"Artemis, your dad never has to know. You're always talking about him getting off work late, so why don't you sneak off while he's away and enjoy yourself at the dance and sneak back home when it's over."

Artemis placed her hand to her chin in thought and ran Zatanna's idea through her head over in over. When they stopped at her locker so she could retrieve her books, she smiled before grabbing her items and slamming the door shut.

"You know what? You're absolutely right Zatanna. I mean, what my dad doesn't know won't hurt him. I just have to make sure I finish my chores before taking off so he won't suspect a thing."

"I'll have Alfred swing by and pick you up so we can all go together." Dick said with a smile. "He'll be sure to get you home in the nick of time."

Artemis stared at the faces of all her friends gratefully before smiling.

"Thanks everyone."

* * *

Artemis took a deep breath as she drew the string of her bow back slowly and lifted her arm so it was level to her eyes. Her other classmates watched her intently as she pulled back a little harder and narrowed her eyes to concentrate on the target a few yards away.

"Concentrate Artemis." Her gym teacher and archery coach Oliver Queen spoke, a smile evident in his voice. "Take a deep breath and focus on your movements."

Artemis followed his instructions and cleared her head of all thoughts other than the target in front of her. Then, with one deep breath, she released the string and mentally screamed that the arrowhead would reach the target. Thankfully, the arrow head sunk deep into the bull's eye and her fellow classmates applauded her.

"That was brilliant Artemis." Oliver said admiringly. "Great job. Now ladies, it's your turn. Artemis just demonstrated a perfect form and a perfect shot. I'm not expecting you to be perfect. After all, this is only gym class. I just want you all to try your best and at least hit the target to earn your participation points for the day. Now, let's get to it."

Oliver watched with a soft smile on his face as the other girls in his aerobics class went to string their bows and choose the arrows they wanted to fire off. His eyes wandered to Artemis whose eyes were closed with pain as she ran a hand over the exposed skin of her arm. His eyes widened when he caught sight of several bruises on her pale skin.

"Artemis, what's going on?" he said quietly as to not draw attention to their selves.

Artemis gasped, obviously surprised by the sudden appearance of his voice beside her. She quickly tugged at the sleeves of her sweatshirt to pull them over her exposed skin, but Oliver wasn't going to let them disappear. He gently took her arm and rolled her sleeve up to study the markings and bruises.

"What on earth happened to you?"

Artemis sighed before removing her arm from his grasp to pull her sleeves back down. "I've been practicing really hard for the tournament tomorrow." She said. "You know how much my dad loves the sport and he's been really tough on me to get a perfect score. I've been waking up early every morning to practice up on the roof of my building. The lack of sleep makes me lose focus and I managed to strike my skin with the string of my bow a couple of times. It's no big deal coach, really."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Artemis, I'm not buying it."

"You don't have to buy it. Just deal with it, okay?" Artemis drew her string back another time and huffed before carelessly releasing it, sending an arrow flying over the top of the targets and onto the track field where the high impact class was busy running laps around the track.

"Maybe you are a little tired and off your game." The older man said as he rubbed his goatee. "Go and get that arrow and please…be more careful?"

Artemis sighed before dropping her bow onto the grass and jogging over to the fence. Her face immediately turned into a frown at the sight of a group of boys gathered a few feet away from the fence. They were crowded around someone who was yelling at the top of their lungs.

"I could've been killed!" she heard someone shout. "Where the hell did this arrow come from?"

"The girls are doing archery today, remember Wally?" Conner Kent's voice came from the crowd.

Artemis couldn't help but to smirk. So her arrow had almost managed to or did manage to hit Wally West. This day was looking better already.

"Hey, look over there." A voice came. Artemis's eyes widened as the entire group turned to look at her.

"Did you shoot this arrow?" Wally shouted from his place on the ground.

Artemis placed her hands on her hips and shrugged, a smirk on her lips. "Maybe."

Wally's friends began laughing and playfully shoving their friend at the sight of him being smart-assed by a girl. Face red with embarrassment, the red-head stood to his feet and walked over to the fence, arrow in hand. Artemis continued to watch him amusedly as he approached her and wove his fingers through the metal wires of the fence and glared at her.

"You do realize your arrow could have killed me, right?"

"It was an accident." She said with another shrug. "Besides, that thing couldn't have killed you even if I was trying to put a hit out on the great Wally West."

"It so could have killed me." He protested. "It was inches from my heart."

Wally turned so she could see the welt on his arm and she couldn't help but to laugh.

"Really West, don't have a cow. This arrow doesn't have a real tip on it, just a dull metal guard. It's sharp enough to penetrate a thin target made out of a tarp and straw, not an arm."

Wally's lips formed into a thin line as he tried to think of something else to say, but he decided to drop it. With a huff, he slid the arrow through one of the diamond openings in the fence.

"I'm sorry about that." She sighed. "I should be more careful."

"Yeah, but it's okay. That's actually kind of cool that you managed to shoot it all the way to the track field. Next time, work on your aim, huh?"

Artemis smirked, a challenge in her eyes. "I'd bet I could hit a target before you could."

"As if." Wally scoffed. "I'm the king of sports."

"Yeah, track and field. Archery is my territory."

"Well then, perhaps you could teach me sometime?"

Artemis's smirk disappeared as her eyes widened with surprise. "Seriously?"

Wally shrugged before rubbing the back of her head. "Hey, it was just a thought. I mean, I'd have to fit it into my busy schedule. Anyways, I'd better get back to class before the teach freaks. See you in chemistry."

Artemis nodded and watched as he jogged back to his awaiting friends. They continued their run around the track as soon as he reached them. Artemis smiled as he ran off before turning around to run her finger over the metal tip of the arrow.

"I wonder how nice he would've been had this been one of dad's arrows?" she wondered aloud with a smile on her lips.

* * *

**Speedster:**

**So archer, what's your favorite color?**

**Archer: **

**Out of all the things you could ask me, you want to know what my favorite color is? What, did you run out of interesting things to talk about?**

**Speedster: **

**Ha, ha, you're so funny. I was just curious. You see, I read somewhere online that a person's favorite color is kind of a reflection of who they are.**

**Archer: **

**Okay, I'll bite, but only if you tell me your favorite color too.**

**Speedster: **

**Deal**

**Archer: **

**I'm a fan of the color green. It reminds me of the woods and brush that were behind my childhood home. What does green mean according to your horoscope?**

**Speedster: **

**It wasn't my horoscope that gave me this information, not that I have one. Anyways, the color green huh? Let me see…my sources say that green symbolizes nature and it's easy on the eyes. Hey, I just remembered that I have green eyes! I must be pretty good looking, huh?**

**Archer: **

**How am I supposed to know? I've never seen you before, remember? Anyways, back to this color philosophy of yours.**

**Speedster: **

**Green symbolizes relaxation and calmness. It also symbolizes fertility and it implies that one is wealthy. However, fashion designers refuse to use it in fashion shows because it promotes bad luck. Then there's also the common reference that green symbolizes jealousy. Any of those traits resemble you? Are you…fertile? Lol**

**Archer: **

**Wow, what kind of question is that? You've got some sense of humor don't you? Well, I never really thought about my favorite color in such an abstract way. I'm definitely not jealous and who cares about fashion, seriously? Bad luck and wealth…definitely not the wealthy type but the bad luck…that's kind of dead on.**

**Speedster:**

**Is that your way of telling me you don't want to see me tonight? Are you afraid something bad is going to happen?**

**Archer: **

**Not at all. I'm just saying, I'm not the luckiest girl in the world…Anyways, what about you? What's your favorite color and your amazing philosophy?**

**Speedster: **

**I am all about red, but I dig yellow too, you know? They complement each other so well, just like ketchup and mustard on a burger from the pub downtown.**

**Archer:**

**That's hilarious. How can I pay attention to what my professor's saying if you're going to make silly jokes like that?**

**Speedster: **

**I just couldn't help myself. Now for my colors…It says here that yellow represents sunshine and happiness, but it also causes people to lose their tempers because it's so overpowering. That's usually why babies hate yellow wallpaper. Hey, they're just like that woman in the **_**Yellow Wallpaper**_**. Totally insane. Anyways…red represents a faster heart rate and a quicker pace of breathing. I definitely fall into those two categories. Red also symbolizes love and the color itself draws attention, not always positive attention either.**

**Archer: **

**That's funny. So far, it seems your favorite colors represent you well. So…should I keep my eyes peeled for a superhero clad in red tonight?**

**Speedster: **

**You bet. I can't wait to meet you archer. I get the feeling…we're going to get along just great. See you soon, my instructor almost caught me messaging you. I can't lose my phone. Bye!**

**Archer: **

**Yeah…see you soon…**

* * *

Artemis stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door as she slid the top of her costume over her head. She shivered slightly as cold air brushed against the skin of her bare stomach, but her body quickly adjusted to the loss of warmth her sweatshirt had provided. After zipping the top up in the back and sliding her feet into a pair of black combat boots she turned several times to view her newly created costume at different angles. She had to admit, she looked pretty good in her female Green Arrow fixation. She wore a tight pair of cargo pants that were a dark green. The pants were specially designed for athletes and she'd managed to get them at a decent price last month. She was going to wear them to her tournament, but they could make it through a school dance as well. The bottom of the pants were tucked tight into her boots so the bruises on her legs wouldn't show. The shirt she'd slid over her head was a crop top that hugged every inch of her body it could, leaving her abs exposed to the cold autumn weather. She'd managed to find a top that was the exact same color as her bottoms and she stitched her own special emblem on the center of the top that resembled an arrow of some sorts. To top it off, she had attached a mask to the top that would cover her eyes and keep her identity a secret. The last thing she needed was for one of her dad's friends to catch her walking around at night. She'd get it for sure.

Smiling at her reflection, Artemis slid her quiver onto her back and placed a few arrows in it to finish off her look. She then placed a collapsible bow through the belt loop of her pants and pulled her abundance of hair up into a ponytail.

"Hmm…I wonder what I should call myself?" she said as she placed her hand to her chin in thought. Her eyes scanned over her reflection in the mirror as hundreds of names fluttered through her head, but none of them seemed to stick. Suddenly, her earlier conversation with the Speedster crossed her mind.

"Envy…" she spoke slowly, the word making her smile. She liked the sound of it. It didn't necessarily have a positive meaning behind it, but it was catchy and it would due until she and Speedster revealed themselves to each other.

Artemis's phone began buzzing loudly from its place on top of her dresser. She quickly took hold of the device and answered.

"Hello?" she spoke, her voice sounding more excitable than she intended for it to be.

"Why the hell are you so perky?" her father's voice floated through the speaker.

Artemis mentally screamed at the realization of how she must be coming off to her father. "I'm sorry dad it's just that…I managed to get perfect shots during archery practice this afternoon. Coach Queen is convinced I'm going to bring home the gold tomorrow. Looks like all those early morning training sessions are paying off."

"I told you they would princess." He said, an evil smile evident in his voice. "I guess your beating last night did you a little good. Looks like your head is finally where it should be, out of the clouds. Now, did you finish your chores?"

"Yes sir, they're all finished. I even got your dinner fixed up and ready. I'm going to run to the store to do a bit of grocery shopping and then I'll be back to fix up the course for tonight."

"Well, look who finally decided to start behaving themselves." He said with a chuckle. "Alright baby girl. Get everything finished up. Oh, and while you're at the store, I need a couple of beers. I don't care how you get them, just get it done. Hey, you've done the dirty work of a twenty-one year old before. I know you can handle this task. See you tonight Artemis."

With that being said, the line clicked leaving Artemis in her room, silent. With a shudder, the blonde walked over to the window and stared out into the slums as the sun set off in the distance, bathing the town in an orange glow.

"Tonight is the night. I'm going to meet him." She said with a nod of her head. "It's too late to turn back now…I have to do this…"

Dick's limo could be seen pulling up outside of the complex right on time. Artemis slid her phone into her quiver and carefully climbed out of the window to ensure she wouldn't tear her costume. She then made a stealthy escape down the fire escape and onto the sidewalk where she quickly scrambled into the backseat of the limo. Dick was seated on the other side smiling at her from behind his domino mask.

Artemis couldn't help but to smile at the sight of her best friend. Dick was dressed in a black body suit with a matching utility belt around the waist. A blue insignia of some sort of bird was on the center of his chest and he wore black gloves and combat boots.

"Well, it's nice you could join us this evening miss…?"

"Envy." Artemis said with a smirk. "I really don't have a name to call myself other than my own, so I thought I should settle for something that describes who I truly am."

Dick raised an eyebrow as she closed the door and Alfred pulled away from the curb.

"You're envious?" he repeated, a little surprise. "Of what, might I ask?"

"I'm envious of…everyone who has the strength to leave a situation like the one I find myself in on a daily basis. I'm envious of those…who are brave…"

"Hey," Dick said with a soft smile as he placed his hand gently on her knee, "let's not worry about that tonight. Tonight, you're going to meet this guy you've been swooning over for almost a year and you're going to be one step closer to your happily ever after. I promise."

Artemis smiled thankfully at Dick before giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked with a small laugh.

"For being the greatest best friend a girl could ask for. Now, let's go pick up Kaldur and Zatanna so we can have a good time while it lasts."

"Remember Cinderella, we only have until the clock strikes midnight." Dick said jokingly as he tried his best to imitate the fairy godmother from the classic Disney movie.

Artemis playfully shoved Dick before settling back into the seat as Alfred drove off into the night.

One thing was for sure, Artemis was going to meet her prince charming and hopefully, the two of them would have a good night. Well, you can't really tell. Red, yellow and green are an interesting ensemble together. Most times, the three colors clash.

* * *

**A/N:**** And so ends another chapter. Go ahead and leave me a review. I'm looking forward to reading what you guys thought of this chapter. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can leave me a PM as well. I hope you're all enjoying the story. See you at the next update.**


	5. A Hero's Ball

**A/N:**** Hey guys, I'm back with the next chapter. Special shout out to those of you who have been reading in reviewing. Reviews let me know what direction to go in with the story, so if you have something to say, don't be afraid to say it.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the **_**Young Justice **_**series or any of the show's characters. Also, I do not own the popular fairytale of **_**Cinderella **_**that the idea of this story is based off of. I do, however own all original characters featured in this story and the plot. So please, NO STEALING!**

* * *

"_**A Hero's Ball"**_

Dick and Artemis held their breath as Alfred's limo came to a stop a distance away from the school. Dick thanked the butler as he hopped out of the car and held the door open for Artemis.

"The dance ends around one." Dick explained to the driver as Artemis waited on the curb. "I need you to be here at eleven-fifty to pick me and Artemis up. She has to be home by at least twelve-thirty to avoid being caught by her dad. Do you think you can do that?"

"Of course Master Grayson." Alfred spoke in his heavy British accent. "I am very punctual about these things. You two have fun at the dance."

The two teens waved Alfred off as the limo drove off into the night. They then made their way up the block towards the school. The sound of music could be heard echoing throughout the street as they neared the school and Artemis couldn't help but to feel nervous. The closer they got to the school, the closer they were getting to Speedster.

At that thought, the blonde stopped walking and rubbed the back of her head as she began pacing in small steps on the corner. Dick noticed that she had disappeared from beside him and he turned around only to see her nervous appearance.

"Everything is going to be okay." He said reassuringly, but Artemis wasn't convinced.

"This was such a terrible idea. What if I'm nothing like he expects me to be? Or worse, what if my dad finds out that I'm gone. Do you have any idea what kind of predicament I'm in right now?"

"Hey, there they are Kaldur!" Zatanna's voice came from behind them. Artemis sighed at the sudden appearance of her friend's voice.

"It's too late to turn back now." Dick said with a smile. "Zatanna is never going to let you leave."

Artemis nodded, realizing that Dick was right before plastering a fake smile on her face to turn around and face her friends.

"Hey Zee, hey Kaldur. Your costumes look great."

"Yours does as well." Kaldur complimented her, a gentle smile on his lips. "The color green really suits you."

"What do you guys think of my costume?" Zatanna asked as she twirled around in front of them.

Dick cleared his throat and looked away as he tried to keep his raging hormones under control. The dress shirt Zatanna was wearing beneath her magician's coat was very low-cut and her cleavage was in full view. Artemis smirked before turning back to her friend.

"You look great Zee."

"Yeah." Dick replied with an embarrassed smile. "It really…fits you."

Zatanna giggled before taking Dick's hand and tugging him up the sidewalk. Kaldur and Artemis follow closely behind as they enter the building.

The music seemed to grow louder as they neared the gym and Zatanna couldn't stop talking about how happy she was that Artemis could make it. The four of them stopped at the student council table by the door to show off their tickets. They were then allowed inside of the gym doors.

The gymnasium had been decorated perfectly for the occasion. Streamers were hanging from every door, wall, and even from the ceiling. Balloons were all throughout the room, there was a refreshment table, black lights, strobe lights near the DJ booth and a disco ball that was illuminating the room. Artemis caught sight of the glass ball and swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. Speedster was supposed to be waiting for her there.

As they walked further into the room, Artemis began feeling claustrophobic. Several students were dancing wildly about, running into her and not even paying attention to where she was walking. The room was hot and she could smell the sweat emerging from the various costumes everyone was wearing. Several students were dressed as Superman, Batman and a few other members of the Justice League, but much to Artemis' surprise, there were several original costumes to. Her eyes caught sight of Linda standing near the refreshment table in a weird fairy costume. Artemis cringed at the sight. Linda's costume had huge wings that were covered in glitter and her whole just was revealed. Not to mention the fact that it was so short you could see her bottom hanging out the back.

Finally, Artemis and the others found their own little area on the dance floor where they could breathe and move about freely.

"I hereby dub this our dance spot of the night." Zatanna said with a laugh as she squealed and threw her arms up into the air.

The four of them decided to let loose a little and start dancing to the One Direction song that was blaring through the gym speakers. The four of them laughed and danced together through three more songs until the beats when away and were replaced with a soft, music-box ballad called "Notice Me" by Britney Spears. All of the couples present in the gym found their partners and fell into step as they slowly began to sway to the beat. Kaldur, Zatanna, Artemis and Dick looked around awkwardly as they took notice that they were four of several people who didn't have dates to dance with.

A thought quickly crossed Artemis' mind and she turned around to face her friend. He raised an eyebrow as she began to gesture between him and Zatanna. He held up his hands and shook his head, but Artemis shot him a glare. With a sigh, he tapped her on her shoulder and cleared his throat. Zatanna spun around quickly and gasped as he held a hand out to her.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her as a smile managed to form on his lips.

Zatanna gasped before nodding her head. She took his hand and a smile quickly warmed her lips as he held onto her tight. The two of them began swaying to the soft ballad as they danced together, their eyes never leaving each other's. Kaldur and Artemis smiled at their friends before turning back to watch the rest of the student body dance along to the ballad.

_Notice me…take my hand…why are we strangers when…our love is strong…why carry on without me?_

_Every time I try to fly I fall without my wings, I feel so small…I guess I need you baby_

_And every time I see you in my dreams, I see your face, it's haunting me…I guess I need you baby…_

Kaldur was suddenly approached by a fair skin girl with raspberry red hair in a pixie cut and gorgeous aqua-colored eyes. A soft smile was on her lips and she laughed nervously before looking up at him.

"Hi there, I'm Tula."

Kaldur smiled at her, showing no signs of nervousness. "I am Kaldur. It's a pleasure to meet you Tula."

Tula nodded quickly before placing her hands behind her back. She began rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Um, I couldn't help but to notice that you were standing over here alone so I thought I should come over and ask if you would like to…if y-you'd like to…"

"Tula, would you like to dance?" Kaldur asked her with a warm smile as he held his hand out. Tula blushed, but she managed to find the courage to smile and nod. She placed her smaller hand in his and the two of them began dancing to the second verse of the song, leaving Artemis alone.

_I make believe that you are here…it's the only way I see clear…what have I done? You seem to move on easy…_

_And every time I try to fly I fall, without my wings, I feel so small…I guess I need you baby_

_And every time I see you in my dreams, I see your face, it's haunting me…I guess I need you baby…_

Artemis glanced at the disco ball in the center of the room and reminded herself that the guy of her dreams could possibly be waiting for her there. Taking a deep breath, she walked away from her friends towards the center of the dance floor. She stood in the center of the room awkwardly with her arms wrapped around herself as she looked around for any signs of the speedster. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She smiled and turned around, only to come face to face with Cameron Mahkent who was dressed as Mr. Freeze, a villain.

"What do you want Cameron?" Artemis asked, displeased with the fact she had been noticed by the boy. Cameron was a loud-mouthed jerk who constantly tried to hit on Artemis at every chance he got. She knew that her costume is what made him follow her to the center of the room and she wasn't in any mood to get worked up.

"What I want is you babe." Came his reply as he ran a hand down her arm. Artemis quickly slapped his hand away and glared at him.

"Cameron, I'm waiting for someone."

"Of course you are Artemis, and he's finally arrived. I'm the guy of your dreams. Aren't you excited?"

Artemis couldn't help but to laugh, earning some displeased looks from the happy couples around her. "Yeah right Cameron. Why don't you go off and find some other blonde to bug?"

Cameron frowned before pushing his way through the crowd of students in pursuit of another target. Artemis laughed to herself before going back to standing awkwardly in the middle of the floor. The end of Britney's ballad quickly approached and "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum began playing through the speakers.

Artemis suddenly grew fearful that speedster wasn't going to show up. Deciding to go back to her friends, she began walking away, only to be stopped by someone's voice behind her.

"Archer?"

Artemis could feel her heart speed up with nervousness as she slowly turned around to see who had called out to her. There was a boy a few inches taller than her standing in the center of the room dressed as the infamous speedster Flash. Artemis smiled.

"Speedster?"

* * *

_Lying here with you so close to me, it's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe…caught up in this moment…caught up in your smile…_

Dick and Zatanna swayed along to the beat beside Kaldur and Tula as they happily danced together.

"Thanks for being my dance partner?" Zatanna said with a smile as she looked up at him.

"Don't mention it. I'm glad to be your dance partner."

The two of them remained silent as the singers continued singing through the first verse. As soon as the chorus blared through the speakers, Artemis suddenly crossed Zatanna's mind. The raven-haired beauty turned her attention away from Dick and looked over to the spot Artemis had been in a few minutes earlier. She raised an eyebrow when she didn't spot here there.

"Hey Dick, do you know where Artemis went?"

Dick began looking around when suddenly, he caught sight of Artemis's blonde hair at the center of the room. He then spotted someone dressed as Flash talking to her.

"Well, what do you know? It looks like speedster showed up after all."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting you." Speedster spoke with relief in his voice. "I was afraid you weren't going to show up."

"The feeling's mutual." Artemis admitted with a smile. The two of them stared at each other in silence before speedster cleared his throat.

"Wow…your costume is amazing. What is it, a Green Arrow fixation?"

"Sort of." Artemis said with a shrug. "He's one of my favorite heroes so I decided to create a sidekick for him, since he's a male hero and all."

"So, what is your heroic title?"

"Envy." She said with another smile.

"Beautiful…"

Artemis felt her cheeks redden and she quickly looked away. "Well, you were right about your costume being obvious. Your screen name kind of hinted that you were going for the Flash title this evening. You're in luck that you're one of three people that came dressed as him."

Speedster laughed before holding a hand out to her. "Would you like to dance?"

Artemis nodded before placing her hand in his and snaking an arm around his back. The two of them swayed along with the music as they stared intently into each other's eyes.

"I've never met anyone with gray irises before." Speedster spoke admiringly. "Even though gray is a dull color, it looks good on you."

"Green eyes?" Artemis said as she observed his. "Hmm…how lucky am I? You're wearing my favorite color."

The two of them laughed quietly to themselves as speedster spun her around once and pulled her back into his arms.

"Hey, what do you say we get out of here for a few minutes?" speedster suggested. "I can only stand for so long in crowds. I remember you telling me the same thing."

Artemis sighed with relief before grabbing his hand. "I thought you'd never ask."

The two of them made their way out of the gym and through the back door that lead into the courtyard. They could still hear the music from inside the gym, but the night time air was a lot cooler on their skin and there weren't extra bodies around to close in on them.

Artemis walked over to a stone bench near the fountain and took a seat. She stared out past the courtyard where the track field could be seen and sighed. Speedster took a seat beside her and smiled before taking hold of her hand.

"I've dreamed of meeting you since we first became friends." He said. "So…are you going to tell me your real name?"

Artemis shook her head. "Not yet…I'm not ready."

"Well, isn't that one of the main reasons we met up tonight?"

Artemis smiled. "Rule number one to being a superhero, keep your secret identity a secret."

Speedster couldn't help but to laugh at her words. "Well, if I revealed who I was to you…would you tell me?"

"Maybe." Artemis said as a playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

She watched intently as Speedster raised his hands and pulled his mask back, revealing a head of wild hair and a face of freckles. A very familiar face at that.

Artemis' mouth fell open in shock at the sight of the person sitting before her. "Wally West?" she said, her voice sounding disappointed. "You're…speedster?"

Wally could hear the disappointment in his voice and raised his hands in defense. "Wait a second archer, let me explain."

"Explain what?" Artemis said as she stood to her feet and walked a few steps away from him. "The guy that I've been talking to online for almost a year…the guy who claims to like poetry and Disney movies…the guy who claims to be more emotional and observant than people think…is Wally West, the school's biggest flirt, player and womanizer."

Wally stared at her, a little hurt by her words. He watched as she shook her head and looked away from him.

"I knew this was too good to be true…"

"Now, wait just a second archer." Wally said, standing to his feet and walking over to her. "I am the same guy that you have grown to know over the past year. Whether your Envy or archer, you are still the same girl that I have been pining after ever since our first conversation. What, because you find out who I am, you suddenly don't trust me?"

Artemis stared at him as her lips tried to form words, but nothing would come out of her mouth.

"I am the track star at this school because my dad has been pushing me real hard to succeed at something in life. I am a jock with several pig-headed friends and yes, I can be pig-headed at times too."

"No kidding." Artemis mumbled under her breath.

Wally sighed as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me, please…do you remember a few days ago when we had a conversation about me not being able to show the world who I truly am out of fear of how I would be accepted? I mean, I've been popular since middle school and if my friends were to find out that I'm this poetry loving softie, they'd totally freak."

"Sounds to me like you need to choose your friends more wisely." Artemis said. "If they can't accept you for who you really are…then they were never your friends to begin with."

Wally smiled before rubbing the back of his head. "You always have words of wisdom to throw my way, don't you?"

Artemis smiled. "Look, I get it now, okay? The world isn't ready to see this side of Wally West. The side that I've gotten to see."

Wally couldn't stop the wide grin that burst onto his face. "So, do you want to head back inside?"

"No thanks." Artemis said, shaking her head. "I'd rather show you a few of my talents. After all, I see yours at all the track meets you run. It's only fair."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Dick, Artemis and Kaldur laughed as everyone in the gymnasium danced along to "Gangnam Style." It was entertaining to watch all of the uncoordinated dancers in the room trying to keep up with the other students who actually knew how to do the dance. Dick suddenly felts his phone vibrate in his pocket and he reached in to grab it. He sighed as the alarm he had set before leaving his home began buzzing. It was eleven fifty, meaning he had ten minutes to find Artemis and get her out of the dance.

"What's wrong?" Zatanna asked as she and Kaldur stopped dancing and crowded around him. Dick raised his phone so they could see the screen.

"Where did she run off to?" Kaldur asked as he looked around the room for any sign of his blonde friend.

"She's with Speedster." Zatanna reminded him. "There's no telling where they went."

"I think I know." Dick said. "Artemis hates crowds and knowing her, she probably convinced speedster to go outside. I'll go check the back. You two check the front. Rendezvous at the meeting point when done."

Kaldur and Zatanna nodded before running out the gym doors. Dick then headed for the back door and out into the courtyard.

* * *

Wally watched in amazement as Artemis pulled another arrow out of her quiver and readied her bow. She released the arrow quickly and smiled as it sunk into the bull's eye perfectly.

"How do you keep managing to get good shots?" Wally asked. "I have yet to see you miss one bull's-eye."

"It takes years of practice and good form." Artemis said as she released another arrow.

Wally watched her movements intently, taking in every detail. Her body would remain perfectly straight and she always narrowed her eyes. When viewing the target. He found it cute how her tongue would poke out the corner of her mouth and slide back in as soon as the shot is released. She would then tap her foot twice on the ground before repeating the same action. She really was good at this.

"Mind if I give it a try?" Wally asked as he stood from his place on the ground.

Artemis smiled before passing him her collapsible bow. "Be careful not to lose any of my arrows. They're custom made."

Wally nodded as she handed him the arrow. He held onto the metal shaft and observed the arrow's unique qualities. The shaft was metal and black and the feathers on the fletching were various shades of dark green. There was one bright green feather in the middle. The arrow's head was a metal tip with a black ring outlining it. There was also an A engraved right above it.

"What does the A stand for?" Wally wondered aloud.

Artemis stiffened before quickly coming up with an answer. "Arrow."

Wally laughed before turning to smile at her. "How original. Now, how do I do this again?"

"Knock your arrow on the center of the string while aiming at the ground. Draw the string back as you slowly rise, narrow your eyes to focus on the target and shoot."

Wally repeated all the instructions back to her before knocking the arrow. He then drew the string back quickly. Artemis reached a hand out to stop him from firing, but he released quickly, sending the arrow flying over the target. Artemis laughed before removing her quiver to jog out to retrieve the arrow.

"Way to go speedster." She laughed as she disappeared from his sight.

Wally smiled after her before turning his attention to her quiver. There were two arrows remaining in the quiver, being that four arrows were on the target and one was out in the field. He reached inside and pulled them out to observe them. The arrows looked exactly the same as the one he had just shot off, but the letters were different. An R and a T were on the two in his hand.

"A-R-T…" he said as he named off the letters, including the A he had already shot. "That's funny, it certainly doesn't spell arrow."

Hearing Artemis jogging back over to him, he placed the arrows back into the quiver.

"Did you find it?" he asked.

She nodded before holding the arrow up along with the other four she'd pulled out of the target. "You may be good on the track field, but your archery skills need a little luck."

Wally smiled as he walked towards her. "Maybe you could give me a hand?" he asked as he leaned close to her, their faces barely touching.

Artemis felt her face heat up as her eyes traveled to his parted lips that were waiting anxiously to kiss her. Before Wally could lean in and take them captive, Artemis hears her phone vibrating in her quiver followed by her ringtone. Her eyes widened as she pushed past Wally to grab the phone.

"What's going on?" he asked as he saw her facial expression change to one of horror.

She looked up at him sadly before slinging her quiver over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She said before taking off in a full sprint.

Wally stood frozen in place for a few minutes, stunned that she had taken off so quickly.

"Where are you going?" he shouted as he took off after her.

Artemis glanced over her shoulder and cursed under her breath at the sight of him chasing her. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to get home to avoid facing her father's wrath at the realization that she was gone. As she neared the courtyard, she caught sight of Dick looking around for her. She waved her arms frantically to get his attention and he sighed in relief as she reached him.

"Where have you been?" he asked her in a scolding tone.

"Not now Nightwing." She said playfully before grabbing his arm and pulling him around the school. "Wally's still chasing after me."

"I'm sorry, Wally West? What's he doing out here?"

"He's speedster." She explained as they rounded the corner.

"What?" he shouted.

"I'll explain more later. What's important now is getting me home."

Dick nodded as the two of them ran across the street to where Zatanna and Kaldur were waiting.

"Where have you been?" Zatanna shouted as Dick ushered them into the limo quickly.

"Drive Alfred." Dick instructed, and the butler gladly obliged and pulled off.

When Wally rounded the corner, he gasped when he spied no signs of Archer anywhere. With a heavy heart, he turned around to go back into the school, but something caught his eye on the sidewalk. With a raised eyebrow, he bent down and gasped at the realization that two of archer's arrows were laying on the ground.

"They must have fallen out of her quiver while she was running." He concluded as he brought them up to his face to read the letters on the moonlight. "I-S…" he said slowly. "A-R-T….I-S…Artist?"

Wally looked up from the arrows in his hands and glanced both ways for any sign of the archer.

"I will find you." He said as he looked back down to the arrows. "I have to know who you are."

* * *

**A/N:**** Review!**


	6. That's what Friends are for

**A/N:**** Hey guys, I'm back with the next chapter and it's a lot sooner than the last update; but before I begin this story, there is something that I need to address…**

**When I post things on this website, it is for the entertainment of my followers and reviewers, but it is also to demonstrate my writing skills and talents. I trust that everyone reads my disclaimers when I explain that I have ownership to the idea used for this plot. **

**So, this past week I came across a **_**Young Justice **_**story entitled: "Cinderella" and low and behold, the story is basically an exact copy of my story…words cannot even begin to describe how pissed off I am and how hurt I am because of this author's actions. So I am going to say this ONCE AND ONLY ONCE…when my work is re-produced it makes me lose trust with the website and I no longer want to make posts. I don't want to do that; but if I'm taking the risk of my writing being re-produced and someone is taking ownership of it, I can't continue to write on this website.**

**DON'T FRET! I am not giving up on posting at this current moment of time. I have taken action to ensure that the story be removed and I am hoping that this does not occur again. However, if this situation becomes a repeated offense, I will stop writing this story and will no longer post on this website.**

**Whew…I hope I've made myself clear. Sorry about the rant, but I need you guys to understand where I am coming from. It really sucks for someone else to claim your story as their own. So please…let's not let this happen again. Thanks to "kiri" and "unimpressed" for commenting on the story so I could at least see that some of you know the work didn't belong to the author. Now, on with the disclaimer, and then, onto the story.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the **_**Young Justice **_**or **_**Young Justice: Invasion**_**series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I also do not own the popular fairytale of **_**Cinderella**_**, which was made popular by Brothers Grimm, or the 2004 Warner Bros. film, **_**A Cinderella Story**_**, which was written by Leigh Dunlap. The fairytales simply inspired the concept of the story. However, I do own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters. With that being said, DO NOT RE-PRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAY, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS FANFIC, THEREFORE THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME! Thank you **

* * *

"_**That's What Friends Are For"**_

Artemis's eyes shot open at 2:00a.m. when she heard the front door of the apartment slam shut. She sat up slowly and made her way out of her bed and over to the door. She opened it just slightly and peered down the hallway where she could see the light of the refrigerator shining against the wallpaper.

"Dad, is that you?" she called out to him as she tried to keep her voice from wavering.

There was a pause, followed by the sound of Lawrence's boots echoing off the hardwood floors. He appeared in the hallway, a scowl on his face as he glared at her.

"What are you doing up so late?" he questioned her as he folded his arms across his chest.

Artemis tucked a stray strand of hair behind her hair and cleared her throat. "I couldn't sleep. I'm really nervous about the archery tournament in the morning."

"Well, if you had been here to practice yesterday morning, you wouldn't be so nervous now, would you?"

Artemis nods her head and averts her gaze to the floor. "I'm really sorry about missing practice dad. I'm sorry for everything that happened."

Lawrence stared at her, his expression unchanging. "Get dressed."

Artemis's eyes widened at the command. "W-what?"

"You heard me, get dressed. Since you're up, we might as well get some training in."

"But dad, the tournament is eight hours from now. I've got to get some sleep."

A smirk worked its way onto the older man's lips as he released a low chuckle. "You act as though I care about you getting enough sleep. Now, I'm not going to tell you again. Get dressed and meet me up on the roof. You have ten minutes."

Artemis nodded before closing the door to her room. She shuddered before leaning her back against the wood and sliding down to the floor to rest on her bottom. Even though he was going to break her with his training session, it was a reward compared to what he would do to her if he found out about her nightly excursion.

It was a miracle that he wasn't home when Alfred dropped her off. Dick tried to convince her to spend another night at the manor, but Artemis refused to take him up on the offer. She had broken the rules and needed to stay home and keep up her façade. Dick left with a heavy heart and she quickly made her way inside to stow away the uniform and get ready for bed.

Artemis's eyes traveled to her sliding door closet where she had hidden the costume in the very back behind one of her mother's old dresses. Lawrence never went through her mother's things, so she had no worries of him finding it.

"Five minutes!" Lawrence roared as he pounded on the door.

Remembering that a training session was waiting to begin, Artemis quickly jumped to her feet and scrambled around as she gathered a hoodie and sweatpants.

* * *

"That's it baby girl, focus." Lawrence said as he watched Artemis intently.

Artemis's blonde hair was gathered in a ponytail and it was starting to become a real annoyance. The weather had taken a turn for the worst after the dance and it was currently storming. Lightning was cracking through the sky and the strong wind was blowing her ponytail about wildly in the rain.

With a sigh, Artemis released the arrow and smirked as she made another bulls' eye. Thank goodness she and Wally had decided to have archery practice a few hours earlier.

As Artemis knocked another arrow, her evening with the speedster suddenly crossed her mind. She had to admit, she was happy to find out that Wally was the guy she'd been longing to meet. Even though he appeared to be a jackass at school, he was easy on the eyes. After spending nearly an hour with him at the dance, she was almost one-hundred percent sure that things were going to go well for them. If only she didn't have to return home to such a nightmare. Maybe then she could have revealed her identity to him.

Artemis was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she unknowingly released her arrow. She gasped as she suddenly snapped back to reality. The arrow flew over the edge of the roof and spiraled down to the ground landing right beside a tree. Artemis immediately began to panic as she turned around to face her now approaching father. She closed her eyes and waited for him to strike her, but he did not.

Curiosity overcoming her, the archer opened her eyes and looked up at her father who was staring at her questioningly.

"What's going on?" he asked her, his eyes burning holes into her skin.

"I lost my concentration because of the rain." She lied. "I'm really sorry dad."

Lawrence leaned in close to his daughter's face and Artemis tensed as the smell of liquor filled her nostrils. Lawrence glared at her before poking her chest.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Artemis's eyes widened at his words. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't stand here and play dumb with me you filthy little bitch. I asked you a question. You have guilt written all over your face like a homeless kid who stole a piece of bread. Something's going on and I demand an answer."

"I don't have one to give you." Artemis said, her eyes pleading for mercy. "Nothing is going on, honest."

Lawrence released a low chuckle before shoving her onto the ground. Artemis hit the wet pavement hard, her knee scraping against the concrete. She released a hiss in pain before lifting her head to stare at her father fearfully.

"A little birdie told me that you weren't at work yesterday morning like you claimed."

Artemis froze at his words. "What are you talking about dad?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You skipped out on training because you weren't at home last night. You went over to that little rich boy's house for the night! Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"D-dad, it's not what you think."

"Don't you dare sit there and tell me what I think!" Lawrence shouted as he kicked her in the stomach.

Artemis curled up in the fetal position as she tried not to focus on the pain swimming through her body.

"Haven't I told you how much I hate that kid? I also remember telling you not to trust him. What the hell is wrong with you lately? You've gotten so out of line!"

Artemis began crying silently as she continued to lay on the rooftop.

"I can't believe you'd deliberately disobey me after all I've done for you. You're such a worthless piece of trash, just like your good for nothing sister and disappointment of a mother."

"Mom was not a disappointment!" Artemis shouted as she sat up. As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened. The look her father was giving her scared her to the core and she had no way of knowing what he was going to do next.

Lawrence reached down and grabbed Artemis around her throat. She began hacking as she felt her airway closing. Her fingers wrapped around Lawrence's calloused hands as she tried to free herself, but he wouldn't let go.

"How dare you." He spat as he squeezed her throat tighter. "What gives you the right to talk to me like that?"

Artemis began trembling as her vision began swimming with black spots. Lawrence walked over to the ledge of the rooftop and pressed her back against the ledge. Artemis's eyes widened with horror as she caught sight of the streetlamps below her. She began thrashing in Lawrence's hold as she desperately tried to free herself, but he stopped her movement by striking her across the face. Artemis whimpered as his hands loosened around her throat.

"Such disrespect is deserving of a cruel punishment. Lucky for you, I've got just the thing in mind."

Lawrence reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, causing Artemis to scream in horror. Lawrence's hand moved from her throat to her hair and Artemis gasped.

"Daddy, don't!" She pleaded, but it was too late.

Artemis gasped as she felt a huge amount of weight leave her head.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." Lawrence said jokingly.

Artemis managed to turn her head and she watched with tear-filled eyes as her hair cascaded over the edge of the roof and fell onto the fire escape. Lawrence then growled before pushing her over the ledge as well.

Thankfully, the fire escape was waiting down below. Artemis hit the metal walkway with a thud and she cried out in pain as she stared up into the night sky at her father leering one story above her.

"Go get that damn arrow and turn in for the night." He said. "I hope you've learned your lesson. Don't you ever lie to me again."

Artemis began crying as Lawrence disappeared. Never in her life had she felt as miserable as she did in that moment. She reached a hand up to her hair and began crying harder at the realization that she no longer had a ponytail on her head. Lawrence hadn't sliced all of it off, but with the amount she could gather in her fingers, she knew the one thing she cherished about her appearance was gone.

As the wet rain soaked through her clothing, Artemis managed to sit up. Her body was in a great amount of pain, but she ignored it and made her way down the escape and onto the street. After retrieving her arrow, she headed back into the apartment to sleep away the rest of her misery.

* * *

When Artemis arrived at Gotham Academy the next morning, she frowned. Several buses were lining the front sidewalk, reminding her of the various athletic events going on. Pom squad tryouts were in the cafeteria, the girls track team was running laps out on the track, there was a speech tournament in the lunchroom and the boys track team was busy running laps in the gym. Artemis frowned at the realization that Wally was somewhere in the building. Thankfully, he didn't know that she was the archer Envy.

"Hurry up and get inside." Lawrence growled from behind her as he slammed the car door shut.

Artemis nodded before heading through the front doors. Upon entry to the school, several students Artemis recognized from her classes gasped at the appearance of the archery team's star archer. In spite of all the concealer she had applied to her face, there were still visible wounds on the archer. Then, there was her hair. Artemis's hair looked as though it had gone through a vicious battle with a pair of scissors. Her hair stopped halfway along her neck and its edges were very jagged. Artemis sighed and turned her nose up into the air as she passed by the whispering students, Lawrence right on her tail.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls and then I'll be out to watch you." Lawrence said before disappearing.

Artemis watched him go before taking a deep breath and pushing open the doors to the gymnasium. It was hard to believe that a school dance occupied the gym the night before. It was restored to its original glory and the funk of sweaty teenagers. Artemis caught sight of Wally talking with a senior named Roy Harper over by the bleachers. Artemis stared at him sadly before making her way into the gym.

Several members of the track team spotted the girl's appearance and stopped what they were doing to gawk at her new appearance.

"What the hell happened to Crock?" she heard a boy mutter.

"She looks like she got into one hell of a cat fight." Another boy said.

Artemis rolled her eyes as she neared the bleachers. She was hoping to avoid Wally at all costs, but she had to go through the back doors of the gym to get out onto the field. She secretly hoped that he was really engaged in conversation with Roy so he wouldn't notice her, but as she got closer, her hopes were shattered. Roy motioned towards the approaching blonde and Wally turned around. His eyes widened with surprise as he took in her appearance.

"Uh, hey there Artemis?" he said as his eyes looked her over. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." She said before storming past him.

"Hey, wait a second." Wally said as he jogged after her.

Artemis froze as he quickly appeared in front of her. "What do you want? I have to get ready for my archery tournament today. My coach is probably wondering where I am."

Wally couldn't help but to get a sense of familiarity from her eyes as she glared at him, but he quickly shook the feeling away and placed his hands on his hips.

"What is with you? I mean, I know you're in a hurry, but seriously…have you taken a look in the mirror today? You look horrible, and I'm not saying it to be rude, I'm saying it out of concern."

Artemis's eyes widened. "Since when does the great Wally West care about anyone other than himself?"

"Fine, forget I asked." He said as he placed his hands up in defense before walking away.

Artemis sighed before looking over her shoulder. "Wait."

Wally stopped walking and turned around to face her.

"Look, it's nice that you care enough to ask how I'm doing but seriously, I'm fine. My…dad and I got into an accident last night. The doctors released me this morning because I had no serious injuries, just a couple scrapes and bruises. As for my hair, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh, well I'm glad you're okay." He said with a genuine smile. "Good luck in your tournament."

"Thanks." She said as he turned to head back to Roy.

Artemis turned around and began heading for the door again. She couldn't help but to smile at the sincerity of his actions. Perhaps he really was coming out of his shell.

"Wally, what the hell was that all about?" Roy asked as he watched the doors swing closed behind Artemis.

"Don't worry Roy, it's nothing."

* * *

"Artemis, what happened?" Oliver asked in a worried voice as he caught sight of the blonde walking onto the archery field.

Artemis turned away from her teammates in embarrassment before facing her coach. "My dad and I had an accident last night. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're well enough to compete today?"

Artemis's eyes traveled to the gathered crowd where she could see Lawrence glaring at her and Oliver.

"I'm fine." She said with a reassuring smile.

Oliver frowned at her before sliding her duffle bag off her shoulders and onto the ground. He then led her away from the rest of the team and behind the placed targets.

"Artemis, I hate to ask you this, but I'm only doing so because I care about you."

Artemis frowned at Oliver, knowing that she wasn't going to like his question.

"Are you being abused?"

Artemis put on a fake smile and laughed half-heartedly. "Of course not coach. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow before folding his arms across his chest. "Artemis, it seems like every time I see you, you're wearing a new assortment of bruises and injuries while carrying a bag of excuses behind you. I'm not the only one who suspects something. Dinah does too."

Artemis glared at Oliver. "Anything that I discuss with nurse Dinah is supposed to be kept confident. I don't care if the two of you are dating, that doesn't give you the right to invade and discuss my privacy!"

"Artemis, we only want to help you." Oliver said, his voice pleading with her. "Please understand that we're both concerned for you. I have known you since you were a little girl that I trained for the young archers' competition and Dinah was right beside me cheering you on when you won your first tournament at the age of eight and took home to gold. We love you like you're our own daughter, so believe me when I say you can't fool us. Dinah has seen abuse more times than I can count and you're no different. Honey please…tell me the truth."

Artemis's bottom lip began to quiver as she turned her head away from him. "I'm fine." She said in an audible whisper.

Oliver reached a hand out for her shoulder, but Artemis quickly pushed it away and walked back onto the field to retrieve her arrows. She unzipped her bag and shoved her sweatshirt and sweatpants inside to reveal her tan cargo shorts and blue and yellow polo. She removed her quiver from the bag and gasped at the realization that two of her arrows were missing.

"This is just perfect." She growled before slinging the quiver over her shoulder and walking over to the bench to wait beside her teammates.

Artemis watched as the announcer walked over to the microphone and flashed a bright smile to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Gotham Academy's tenth annual archery tournament. We would like to welcome our guests, the Taylorville Torpedoes. The Torpedoes are going to be competing against the Gotham Giants. Along with the winner's trophy, there will also be a best in show trophy awarded today to the archer who shows the most skill, determination, accuracy and the highest score. Will everyone please stand as Barbara Gordon sings the National Anthem?"

Artemis and the rest of her teammates stood along with crowd as the red-headed freshman walked to the center of the field and took the mic from the announcer's hand. She sang through the song beautifully, getting every note right, and the audience applauded as she left the field and took her seat back in the audience.

As she took her seat, Artemis caught sight of Kaldur, Dick and Zatanna walking across the field and onto the bleachers. She turned her head in shame once she saw the looks of horror on their faces.

"Alright, Melanie Jonas of the Taylorville Torpedoes is to shoot against Molly Burnette of the Gotham Giants. Let's give these ladies a round of applause as they take their stance at the target."

Artemis watched as Molly stood from the end of the bleachers and headed out onto the field towards a girl with light brown hair. The two of them shook hands before heading to their respective places and knocking their arrows.

Halfway through their match, Artemis felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She sighed and retrieved the device before swiping the screen open. There were two text messages and an email. Deciding to open the email first, she slid her thumb across the screen.

**Speedster:**

**So, I'm a little hurt that you ran out on me last night. I hope I didn't do anything to upset you. Oh yeah, I found two of your arrows. They're labeled I and S, so I'm guessing your arrows don't spell out the word arrow like you told me.**

Artemis smiled at the message before sending her reply.

**Archer:**

**I'm really sorry about the mess I caused last night. I was having such a good time getting to know you that I completely forgot to check my phone for the time. My curfew was at midnight and I had to get home to avoid upsetting my dad. I hope you can forgive me.**

After sending the message, Artemis opened her text messages just as the announcer claimed Melanie Jonas the winner of the last round.

**Dick:**

**What did he do to you?**

**Artemis:**

**You're sitting next to Kaldur and Zatanna right now. I'm not going to give you an answer yet.**

**Dick:**

**Artemis, they're scared out of their minds. They know something's up.**

Artemis's vision began swimming with tears as she exited out of the message to open up the other one.

**Zatanna:**

**Okay Artemis, I've been ignoring the obvious for months now and now I am most definite that something is going on. I just need to hear it from you…**

**Artemis:**

**Zee, it's complicated. **

**Zatanna:**

**I DON'T CARE! I thought we were best friends Artemis. Why can't you trust me enough to tell me the truth?**

Artemis looked up from her phone and glanced across the field towards the bleachers. Dick, Kaldur and Zatanna were staring back at her with both sadness and fear on their faces.

With a sigh, Artemis stood to her feet and walked over to Oliver at the end of the bench. "Ollie, my match isn't for another six shootouts. Do you mind if I stretch my legs for a bit and head to the concession stand?"

Oliver stared at Artemis sadly and nodded his head. "You do what you have to do. Just make it back here for your match."

Artemis nodded before walking towards the garden shed. She leaned against the metal exterior and waited patiently for her three friends who she knew were going to follow her. A few minutes later, she could hear Zatanna's cries and the sound of six feet stomping through the wet grass. When the footsteps stopped, she looked up and was met with the faces of her three friends.

"How long were you planning on keeping this from me?" Zatanna shouted through her tears.

Artemis looked away from Zatanna and sighed. "I was going to tell you…eventually. I just couldn't think of the right way to get it out in the open."

"I don't care how difficult this has been for you or the fact that you were going to tell me eventually. I wanted to know months ago when I first suspected something was going on. You told me that you have never dated anyone before, so I ruled out the possibility of domestic abuse but I began piecing things together when you were always avoiding hanging out after school and when you'd freak out about your dad."

"Zatanna, I didn't want to burden you with my problems."

"You think it would have been a burden for me to know that my best friend's dad has been using her as a personal punching bag? Artemis, for crying out loud, I'm not like that! I would have helped you in any way that I could, don't you know that?"

Artemis blinked a few tears free as she wrapped her arms around her waist. "Zatanna…I'm so ashamed of myself for allowing him to do this to me, but you don't understand."

"You're damn right I don't understand. How could you willingly let him beat you and torture you the way he does? Why don't you run away?"

"It's not that simple." Kaldur interjects, surprising everyone.

"I don't understand…" Zatanna said slowly. "It's not easy to run to the police and move into foster care or something?"

Kaldur sighed before rubbing the back of his head. "There is something you all deserve to know. I come from an abusive home. I moved her just recently with my foster father and mother. My dad was a very cruel man who would pummel me at every chance he got. I was forced to speak to him formerly and to refer to him as my master. I was deprived of food and water for several days and he forced me to complete simple tasks. I always desired to call the police and have him arrested but I was afraid because he was the only family I had at the time. Besides, he had eyes watching me at all times and he would know the minute I did something to disobey him."

"H-how did you get away from him?" Artemis asked, her voice small and frail.

"I was at school and my friend Garth caught onto things. He called the police and they privately escorted me off the school premises to take me down to the station. I gave my statement and they sentenced my dad to life in prison. Once I was ensured that he would remained locked up without the chance of parole, they moved me here. They reassured me that he won't be getting out and that he doesn't know where I am even if he were to be released."

"You see Artemis?" Dick said as he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "That's what I've been wanting to do for months. I've told you on several occasions that I am here for you and that I will make that call to get him locked up."

"But you remember what I told you, right? I can't leave until he tells me what happened to my mother."

"Artemis, what if he made that promise to you under false pretenses? What if he's simply bribing you with her location just to force you to stay his prisoner? There are private investigators who can take up the case and there are ways of making your dad talk. He is a monster and he needs to be locked away before he can hurt you anymore."

"Dick's right." Zatanna said. "You're my best friend and I'm afraid that one day…he's going to kill you."

"It's not going to be easy Artemis, but you have to get out of his web before you become permanently trapped." Kaldur added.

Artemis looked around at her friends. There was a great determination in their eyes and at that moment, she couldn't feel any safer.

"I love you guys." She said as she broke down in tears. Everyone gathered around her and pulled her into a hug.

"It may not be right now, but you can be sure that we're going to help you out of this." Dick said. "That's a promise."

* * *

"Alright ladies and gentleman, we've finally reached the last match of the tournament. Arianne Zucker of the Taylorville Torpedoes versus Artemis Crock of the Gotham Giants."

Artemis smiled as Dick, Zatanna and Kaldur cheered her on from the stands. Her eyes then turned to her father who was glaring at her.

"Don't miss." She saw him mouth.

Artemis nodded her head before turning back towards the target. The announcer announced the beginning of their round and the two retrievers and score keepers took their places beside the two girls. A whistle was blown and Artemis quickly knocked an arrow. She rose up from the ground, drawing her string back, and narrowed her eyes as she stared at the target. Her tongue slid out of her mouth just a little as she concentrated on the bull's eye and she quickly released the string. The arrow zipped through the air around it and hit the bull's eye with a satisfying thud. Artemis smiled as her retriever ran to get the arrow. As soon as he was back beside her, she released another six shots, all of them perfectly executed and landing in the bull's eye. Finally, it was time for her last shot of the round and the tournament. Artemis drew the string back and focused on the target. Suddenly, a gust of cool hair ruffled through her short locks, making her shiver. Artemis released the arrow and gasped at the sight of it heading towards the top of the target. The audience gasped and she couldn't help but to think of her father's disappointment. With a new idea in mind, Artemis drew another arrow quickly and aimed for her released shot. The new arrow struck her previous shot and the arrow head dug deeply into the bull's eye.

"Wow, did you see that?" the announcer exclaimed into the microphone. "I have never seen a save quite like that. This means Artemis Crock has successfully executed all of her bull's eyes, leaving her with a perfect score of seventy!"

Artemis smiled before heading back to the bleachers to sit beside her teammates.

"That was great Artemis!" a freshman exclaimed. "You had me worried there for a second."

Artemis thanked the girl before turning her attention back to the announcer.

"Alright everyone, I have the final scores of the tournament. Will both teams please come to the center field?"

Both archery teams stood from their benches and headed towards the center field where the judges were waiting. Two trophies were placed on a table beside them.

"And the winners of the tenth annual archery tournament are the Gotham Giants!"

Everyone began cheering as the girls celebrated their victory with high-fives and squeals of excitement.

"Now, for the best in show trophy. The young teen who demonstrated the most skill, accuracy and talent during this tournament…Artemis Crock!"

Artemis smiled proudly as one of the judges approached her and placed the trophy in her hands. Her teammates crowded around her giving her hugs and trying their best to get a sneak peek of the trophy. Oliver smiled proudly before giving the girl a hug.

"I'm proud of you kiddo." He said as he pulled away and ruffled her hair.

* * *

**Speedster:**

**I can forgive you for last night under one condition.**

**Archer:**

**And what would that be?**

**Speedster:**

**You have to tell me who you are. I've been going crazy because I didn't get to see your entire face nor did I get to hear your real name. Come on Envy, I showed you who I was. Can't you do the same?**

**Archer:**

**You've made a valid point, but I'm just not ready.**

**Speedster:**

**What, you don't trust me?**

**Archer:**

**It's not that…I'm just not sure I trust myself. I don't know what to expect.**

**Speedster:**

**How about this…if you tell me who you are, I'll tell my friends about my…double life.**

**Archer:**

**Bribery isn't going to get you an answer.**

**Speedster:**

**Fine, then I won't' stop looking for you until I found you. That's a promise.**

* * *

Artemis smiled at the email before turning off her phone and shoving it into her duffle bag. Just as she walked back through the gym doors, she caught sight of Wally sighing and putting his phone away. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to him.

"Hey Wally."

Wally looked up, surprised that she had approached him so willingly. "Well, you look a lot happier than you did earlier."

Artemis pulled her trophy out of her duffle bag and smiled. "I let my nerves get the best of me."

"Ah, so you won your archery tournament today? Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"So, you still have to give me lesson sometime, remember?"

Artemis smiled as she remembered their encounter during practice the day before. "I haven't forgotten. Anyways…thanks for checking up on me earlier. I kind of needed the encouragement."

"Anytime." He said with a smile.

Artemis nodded before taking a deep breath and heading out of the gym.

* * *

**A/N:**** Review!**


	7. Out of the Shadows

**A/N:**** Hey guys, thanks for all of the reviews and the support during the previous chapter. They sort of inspired me to update sooner rather than later, so I hope you're all excited. Now, on with the update.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the Young Justice or Young Justice: Invasion series. Both series were created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti and were written by a team consisting of Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Andrew Robinson, Nicole Dubuc, Jon Weisman, Tom Pugsley, and Peter David. I also do not own the popular fairytale of Cinderella, which was made popular by Brothers Grimm, or the 2004 Warner Bros. film, A Cinderella Story, which was written by Leigh Dunlap. The fairytales simply inspired the concept of the story. However, I do own the entire plot of this story and all of the original characters. With that being said, DO NOT RE-PRODUCE THIS STORY IN ANY WAY, FORMAT, OR POSTING. I CREATED THIS FANFIC, THEREFORE THE RIGHTS BELONG TO ME! Thank you!**

* * *

"_**Out of the Shadows"**_

Dick and Zatanna sat in a private booth of a downtown café silently as they listened to their bustling surroundings. Every time the front door opened, a bell would chime signaling that a customer was coming or going. There were speakers in the ceiling that were belting out the sound of smooth jazz music that you could barely hear over the clanking of coffee mugs and dishes. Aside from that, the calm atmosphere made everyone's conversations seem louder.

Zatanna sighed and moved her eyes up to meet with Dick's. The blue on blue contact made Dick look down at the table top with both guilt and nervousness.

"How could you keep something like this from me?" Zatanna demanded as she dipped her spoon into her own mug of coffee and began stirring in creamer.

"Like I said earlier, it wasn't my place to say anything. Trust me Zatanna, I wanted to tell you the minute I found out but Artemis is my friend too and I couldn't bring myself to hurt her any more than she already was."

"How bad is the abuse?" Zatanna questioned him as she raised the mug to her lips.

"Zee, I don't think you'd be able to handle the whole truth. She's being abused, let's just leave it at that."

"No Dick." She hissed, trying her best to keep their conversation between the two of them. "You two have kept enough secrets from me. Besides, wasn't it just an hour ago that we were talking about how we're going to be there for her? How can I do that if I don't know what to protect her from?"

Dick sighed heavily before running a hand through his hair. "She's like a slave in that apartment. She wakes up at the crack of dawn every morning so they can have target practice on the roof. If she makes a single mistake, he beats her. She has to do all of the household chores and cook the meals and if she makes a mistake, he beats her. Artemis has to work in order to pay most of the bills while he goes out and does shady work. If she holds out on him, he beats her."

"Stop it Dick, that's enough." Zatanna said, her face growing pale with fear.

"No Zatanna. You said you wanted to know the truth, and you're going to get the truth. Artemis barely gets enough to eat each day which is why she's so skinny. The only personal possession he allows her to have is her phone so he can get a hold of her. What really upsets me is the fact that he passes her off to his friends to use and-"

"Dick, I said that was enough!" Zatanna screeched, tears in her eyes.

The other customers present in the café stopped their conversations and turned towards the booth where the two teens were seated. Dick slid down in his seat to try and relive himself from the embarrassment. His eyes then traveled to Zatanna. Her tears had spilled over and her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. Slowly, the café resumed its previous luster as everyone began taking and moving around again.

"I'm sorry for yelling." Zatanna spoke, her voice wavering. "It's just that…this is too much to take in. I can't believe she's staying with that monster. We have to do something to get her some help."

"Well, I've been helping her indirectly. If she ever found out, she'd probably never speak to me again for disrespecting her wishes."

"What are you talking about?" Zatanna asked as she dabbed at her face with a napkin.

Dick looked around before reaching into the drawstring bag beside him to pull out a manila folder. He opened it and set it on the table top for Zatanna to see. Zatanna spied several photographs along with a few detailed documents in the folder. She picked up one of the photos and examined the woman in the picture.

"This is Artemis's mom. I recognize her from the picture in Artemis's locker."

Dick nodded before taking a photograph and showing it to Zatanna. "This is a picture of Artemis's sister Jade. The only reason Artemis is staying with that bastard of a father is because she wants to know what happened to her mother. Lawrence is the only one who knows and he promises to tell her as a way to keep her with him."

"So, why look for Jade?"

"I think that Artemis and her sister need to be reunited. Who knows, maybe Jade can help convince her to make an escape?"

As Dick went on to explain how he hired a private investigator to take on the case, Zatanna caught sight of a woman in the booth behind Dick as she stood to her feet. Something about the raven-haired woman seemed familiar and Zatanna didn't fail to notice.

The woman reached into her purse and quickly placed down a tip before quickly making her way out the main doors. Zatanna shrugged before looking back down at the folder. She gasped as she spied another picture of a young Artemis and Jade.

"What is it?" Dick asked.

Zatanna looked towards the doors where the raven-haired woman had disappeared moments earlier.

"It's nothing..."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride home Roy." Wally said as Roy turned into the West family drive way.

"It's no big deal Wally. You only live six blocks from me."

Wally laughed as he grabbed his duffle bag and pushed the passenger door open.

"Well, I guess we can continue to carpool until my car gets out of the shop."

"Keep in mind, your car wouldn't even be in the shop if it wasn't for the crazy ex-girlfriend of yours. Not only did she slash your tires, but she cut all your circuits. Next time, choose your girlfriend carefully."

"I'll keep that in mind." Wally said as he got out of the car. After waving Roy off, he headed up the front porch steps and into the house.

"Mom, dad, I'm home." Wally called out to his parents as he dropped his duffle bag on the floor and made his way towards the kitchen.

Mary West was positioned at the sink washing the latest set of dishes as she hummed along to a techno song from the 80s that was playing on the radio. Rudolph was sitting at the table looking over a few papers from the office as he chewed absent mindedly on a ham sandwich.

"Hey guys." Wally said as he walked into the kitchen and took a seat across from his father. He propped his feet up on the table top and leaned back in his chair as he sighed.

"How was practice today son?" Rudolph asked through a mouth full of sandwich.

"It was okay. I got a few laps in, lifted a few weights and tried to time myself. Of course, I had the fastest time during the four by four today."

"That's my boy."

Wally smiled proudly as his mother left her position at the sink to grab a plate out of the fridge. She walked over and set the plate in front of Wally.

"I figured you might have worked up an appetite during practice, so I made you a ham and turkey sandwich for lunch. Eat up."

Wally thanked his mother before devouring the meal. Wally and his parents remained silent for almost ten minutes as they continued on with their tasks. Suddenly, the front doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Iris." Mary said as she dried her hands on her apron. "The computer is down at hers and Barry's place so she's coming over here to use your computer Wally. I hope you don't mind."

"It's okay." Wally said as he stood to place his dishes in the sink. "I have my phone. I'll go ahead and let her in so you can finish up what you're doing."

Mary smiled and gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek as he headed towards the front door to let his aunt in. Upon seeing her nephew on the other side of the door, Iris smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Well, if it isn't my grown up nephew Wallace?"

"Aw, come on Aunt Iris. Don't pull the Wallace card on me."

Iris giggled as she shut the door behind her and followed Wally down the hall to his bedroom. He quickly got the desktop up and running for his Aunt before collapsing on his bed to stare up at the ceiling.

"You don't have to stay and keep me company Wally." Iris said as she began browsing the server. "I'm sure there are other things you'd rather be doing."

"Actually Aunt Iris, I kind of want to stay in here. I need some advice and you always give the best, so I was hoping that you wouldn't mind hearing me out?"

Iris smiled before spinning around in the swivel chair to stare at Wally as he tossed a hacky sack up into the air repeatedly.

"My aunt senses are telling me that you're having women troubles."

Wally chuckled before turning his head to look at her. "You can read me like an open book. Anyways, there's this girl I met online and-"

"Hold it right there Wally. You're stressed out over some girl you met over the internet? Do you have any idea how risky meeting someone online can be?"

"Chill out Aunt Iris, there's nothing to worry about. The girl goes to my school. Last spring for a creative writing class, my class was required to create an online account for a group discussion. We were supposed to choose usernames that described who we are that no one else would think of. I chose the name speedster because of my love for running and my quick sense of thought. Anyways, a few weeks into the assignment, I read a post by a girl who called herself archer. Her post was absolutely…inspiring. Next thing I know, we started emailing each other frequently. Even after the blog stopped for the class, the two of us created email addresses and began talking to each other. We divulged little information at a time, but we kept our identities secret for fun."

"So, you've been talking to her for almost six months now?"

"Exactly. The more I learned about her, the more intrigued I became. We have so much in common and she knows how to put in me in my place when I've gotten out of line. I decided to ask her to the superhero dance last night. We both showed up in costume and I revealed who I was first. In the beginning, she wasn't too thrilled to find out who I was because of my status in school, but she warmed up to me and took me out to shoot a few arrows on the archery court I kept trying to get her to reveal herself to me, but she kept avoiding the subject. I tried emailing her but she says she isn't ready to tell me. I don't know if this is because of me or if there's something about her that she doesn't want me to know. What should I do?"

Iris placed her hand to her chin in thought as she tried to process all of the information.

"It sounds to me like you've got a lot on your plate and you don't know where to begin eating. Honey, just give her a little time. You're an extrovert who's really outgoing and easy to get along with. It sounds to me like this archer girl is really insecure and shy. Remember, everyone has a different story and it is theirs to tell. Just give her a little time and maybe, she'll warm up to the idea of revealing herself to you."

Wally sat up into a sitting position and moved his legs over the side of the bed.

"Aunt Iris, you're right. I just have to slow down and let nature run its course."

* * *

**Speedster:**

**Archer, I really had fun last night, even though our meeting was cut drastically short. I'm sorry for being so pushy with the whole "secret identity" thing. I will respect you and give you a little space so you can come out of your shell on your own. I really hope that we can hang out again soon. This time, I'll let you choose the time and place. Hope to hear from you soon**

**-Wally**

* * *

Artemis held her breath as Lawrence opened their front door and carried her trophy over to a shelf near the window. He stood on the sofa to place it beside several other trophies and ornaments that the two of them had collected throughout the years.

"Welcome to the family." He said with a rough smile as Artemis closed the door behind them.

"So, did I pass?" Artemis asked hopefully as he stepped down from the couch to take a seat.

Lawrence folded his hands and rested them on his knees before leaning his chin against them. "You brought home the gold for your team and you got the best in show trophy. Well done."

Artemis nodded as she shuffled nervously from foot to foot. "Well, I guess I'd better get dinner started."

"Actually princess, you can skip over your culinary prowess tonight. I have a buddy coming by and he's dying to meet you."

Artemis felt her skin grow cold at the mentioning of another man stopping by the house.

"He's going to pay double what Dave did."

"Dad, can we please not do this?"

Lawrence shot her a look that chilled her to the bone. He stood from the couch and leered over her, causing her gaze to avert to the floor.

"If you want to continue living here with a roof over your head, you'll get in that bedroom and get ready for a good time. Do I make myself clear?"

Artemis nodded before quickly making her way out of his sight. She closed the bedroom door quickly behind her before walking over to her mirror. She stared at her reflection sadly as she reached a hand up to touch her short hair. Tears brimmed in her eyes as thoughts of being a small child filled her head.

From the age of three, Artemis had a head full of luscious blonde hair that would shimmer in the sunlight. Her mother used to brush it every night and talk for hours about how much she loved her hair and that it was something to treasure and treat with respect because it was a part of who she was. Now, her treasure was gone and she felt like a connection with her mother had been severed. It would grow back, but it would never be the same.

With trembling fingers, Artemis grabbed her hair brush and began to smooth out some of the kinks as she tried her best to make her hair presentable. She then proceeded to add make up to her face and perfume before changing into a white beader and a pair of skin-tight jeans. It wasn't the best thing she had, but it would have to do.

* * *

Artemis laid in her bed curled up in a ball as she stared emotionlessly at the wall in front of her, moonlight from her open window casting down upon her. Every inch of her skin felt as though it were coated in a permanent filth as she lay under the protection of a thin sheet. Her clothes lay abandoned near the door, her beader torn right down the middle. The room was in shambles from her visitor's crazy temper and wild imagination. If she closed her eyes, Artemis could hear the television buzzing in the living room just as she had earlier. That sick, sadistic father of hers had been there the entire time ignoring her pleads and screams for the older man to stop. He had done nothing but cheer for his team to bring home the title. Once again, he had proven how very little he cared about her.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared on the wall in front of her and Artemis tensed up, afraid that her rapist had returned for another round. She saw the shadow of the figure on the wall looming above her, staring down at her so intently that she could feel their gaze burning her skin. They reached out and placed their hand on her bare shoulder.

Artemis's eyes went wide at the unfamiliar touch. The hand was soft and delicate, not to mention cold. When her unknown visitor opened their lips to speak, Artemis's eyes went wide with disbelief at the familiarity of the voice.

"Tôi là em gái xin lỗi…I am so sorry my sister…"

Artemis sat up quickly, keeping the sheet around her body. She turned around and gasped at the sight of her older sister standing before her.

"Jade…?" she said in a whisper.

The older teen stared down at Artemis as she bit her bottom lip. Artemis blinked a few times to ensure herself that she was awake. Sure enough, Jade was still standing there in the dark staring at her intently.

Jade's hair had surpassed its original length and matched Artemis's before Lawrence had hacked it off. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders and trailed down her back from beneath a black beanie hat. She was wearing a black beader beneath a gray sweat jacket that matched the sweat pants she was wearing. She had a black drawstring back on her shoulders and it seemed to be a little full.

Thoughts of when Jade left three years ago filled Artemis's head and she couldn't stop tears from forming in her eyes. She had been thirteen when Jade left. She watched with a heavy heart as Jade shoved the few things that held importance into a duffle bag and climbed out the window. Artemis had run to the window and screamed for Jade to come back but her sister continued down the fire escape and run off into the night. Even though Lawrence had searched, there was no sign of her anywhere.

"Why…?" Artemis finally said, breaking their five minutes of silence. "Why are you here?"

"I could be asking you that same question." Jade remarked. Artemis was a little surprised that Jade seemed a little emotional. After all, her older sister was usually a snippety, sarcastic female who found joy in upsetting others.

"What the hell are you saying?" Artemis snapped. "Where did you expect to find me, huh? I've been in this fucking hell hole for three years by myself. I have nowhere else to go."

"That is not true Artemis and you know it. You have been given several opportunities to up and leave this place but you won't take them. You are choosing to stay here and for what?"

"I'm still here because I still believe that our mother is out there somewhere Jade. Don't you remember the promise we made that you broke?"

Jade's eyes moved away from Artemis.

"We swore to each other that we would stick together no matter what dad tried to do to us because we knew it was the only way we'd find out what happened to mom."

"Artemis, wake up! Dad is never going to tell you where she is. You need to leave this place and get a fresh start. The longer you stay here, the closer you are to signing your death wish."

"What the hell do you care Jade? You left me here to deal with this alone! You have no idea what it's like?"

"Oh, don't I?" Jade snapped, silencing Artemis.

"In case you've forgotten, I've been in your shoes in this situation Artemis. Dad would have me working insane hours to help pay the rent, I'd do all the chores and cook while you were training, and while you were asleep…that bastard would lock me in his bedroom with his drunk friends and let them have their way with me. Trust me Artemis, I know what you're going through and it is bullshit! No one is supposed to be treated the way we have been treated. Why didn't you take the money and leave?"

Artemis's eyes widened at the mentioning of money. "You're the one who sent me the envelope with the money in it earlier this week."

Jade nodded. "Even though I'm not around, I've been looking out for you, okay. I gave you that money because I wanted you to get up the courage and leave him. I hated that I had to leave you but I had no choice. My life wasn't the only one at stake anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

Jade smiled before removing the drawstring bag from her shoulders and pulling out a cell phone. She began swiping her fingers across the screen before passing the phone to Artemis.

There are several pictures of a little red-headed girl who resembles Jade. Artemis looked up from the phone and stared at her sister questioningly.

"Her name is Lian and she just turned three last month. She's your niece."

"Oh my God…"

"I was…seeing a guy freshman year and he made me feel good about myself for a change. You know, it's really hard opening up to men when you're forced to be slaves by other men. The point is, this guy and I got really close and I wound up pregnant with his kid. When I found out, I was scared and happy at the same time. However, I knew that I would be putting the baby's life and my own in danger if I were to stay in this house with that sperm donor I have the displeasure of calling my father. I had to put my baby first, so I ran and never looked back."

"Why didn't you take me with you?" Artemis asked as she began crying. "You're my big sister, you're supposed to protect me."

"I didn't know how!" Jade said as she released a few tears of her own. "I was a scared, pregnant sixteen year old who didn't know the first thing about being a mother. All I knew is that I needed to get out, so I met up with a friend from school and they drove me to Canton. I stayed there for about a year before moving back to Gotham. I knew I had to come back for you and get you out of this house, no matter what the cost."

The two sisters exchanged a glance before hugging each other tight.

"Artemis, you are coming with me. I don't care how obligated you feel to stay, it isn't safe. I was a terrible sister to you back then for leaving you. Let me be your sister now so I can take care of you. I can't allow you to continue to be treated this way."

Artemis bit her bottom lip as she gave it some thought. Perhaps Jade was right about everything. Lawrence probably wasn't going to tell her what happened to her mother. Maybe they could find out the truth together and away from him.

"Let's get out of here." Artemis concluded with a smile.

Jade smiled back at her sister before creeping over to the door to press her ear against the wood.

"I can hear him snoring." She said. "Hurry up and get dressed. I'll pack your things."

Artemis nodded before jumping up and fishing through her drawers for some clothes. After throwing on a simple outfit consisting of jeans and a black hoodie, Artemis helped Jade finish packing her bag. Not wanting to leave her costume behind, Artemis grabbed it and shoved it on top of her other things before zipping the bag shut. She then followed Jade over to the window.

"How good is your stealth training?" Jade asked.

Artemis quickly slid out the window without making a sound before dropping her duffle bag onto a patch of grass below them. She then slid over the railing of the fire escape and climbed down to the bottom. She stared up at her sister and smiled before waving. Jade was next to her in a few seconds.

"That was okay, but I'm a little better." Jade said teasingly as Artemis picked her bag up.

The two of them laughed before jogging down the street and into the night.

* * *

"Artemis?" Lawrence shouted from his place on the couch as his phone alarm blared loudly on the coffee table. "Artemis, get your ass out here!"

When he received no reply, Lawrence growled angrily and stomped down the hall towards the room. He kicked the door open, expecting Artemis to jump up claiming she'd over slept. His eyes widened at the sight of her room a complete mess and her window wide open.

"She didn't…" he growled as he walked over to the window. Lawrence looked out the window and down at the street where a few people could be seen making their way through the streets. Artemis was nowhere in sight.

Lawrence yelled before sending a fist straight through the glass, shattering it all over the carpet and the fire escape outside. He pulled his hand back with a hiss as blood began streaming down his arm. Just as he turned to leave, he caught sight of Artemis's phone on the mattress.

He picked the phone up and slid his fingers across the screen to unlock it. He immediately went to her message archive where he found several messages from Dick Grayson and Zatanna Zatara. His face frowned up as he read the messages that she had apparently received during her match yesterday. So, her friends weren't as dumb as they looked.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated, signaling that an email had been received. Lawrence closed the messages and opened the awaiting email. The words on the screen made is eyes narrow with anger.

**Speedster:**

**Good morning beautiful. I woke up and saw how bright the sun was shining this morning and it made me think of your long, golden hair. That was definitely the "highlight" of the dance. I can't wait to see you. Don't forget, it's your turn to set up the date. See you then.**

**-Wally**

Lawrence cursed himself for allowing Artemis so much access on her phone. Whoever this Wally boy was, he was obviously very fond of his princess. Perhaps he is the reason she left. No matter what the reason, Lawrence was sure of one thing and one thing only. Artemis was the last piece of treasure he had left and it would be a cold day in hell before he was going to let anyone take her away from him.

* * *

**A/N:**** Oh boy, Artemis picked one hell of an item to leave behind. She should've just left the costume. On a lighter note, Jade is back and has taken her little sister with her, but at what price? Now, Lawrence is pissed and he now knows about Zatanna and Dick's involvement with their daughter and Wally's! Any guesses of what's going to happen next?**

**Review! **


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